Of Friends, Foes and Family
by knowmyname
Summary: Moments in the life of Dick Grayson and Robin.
1. Of Sleeping Speedsters

**A/N:** _A little drabble to start off the series. I think I'll be working on this series for a little bit since I got a concussion earlier this week and won't be working on _Electric_. This will most likely be used when I've got writers block or unable to work on other stories._

**Characters:**___Robin/Wally, Conner._

**Warnings: **_Fluff._

**Summary:**_ Superboy's midnight snack is cut short. _

_**Of Sleeping Speedsters.**__ Enjoy._

At midnight, Conner walked to the kitchen. Wally had told him the wonders of a midnight snack. The purpose of said snack had escaped the clone, but he was willing to try. Once in the kitchen, Conner could see the reflective light of the TV shining from the living room. Curious as to who was up getting their own midnight snack, the clone walked around one end of the couch.

On the far end of the sofa sat Robin in his civvies watching live news feed on mute, feet propped on the coffee table. Stretched out on the unoccupied space was the Mountains resident speedster. Wally was in his pajamas unlike his comrade. The red head wore a blue baggy shirt and a pair of red 'Flash' boxers. Wally was laying stretched out on the entire piece of furniture. The _entire_ piece of furniture. This included the space where Robin currently sat.

The speedster had his head in his best friends lap. He slept silently with his back turned to the TV. Both of his arms were wrapped securely around the little birds waste. Robin didn't seem to mind. In fact, his youngest teammate used his right hand to cradle his friends head were it was buried in his stomach. The left hand was carding its slender fingers through Wally's red locks and almost massaging the scalp below.

Conner had never seen Wally so calm before. Sure, his feet twitched a little like dogs' do when they dream of chasing squirrels, but that was to be expected. The calm and rhythmic rise and fall of the speedster's ribs was almost hypnotizing. When the clone glanced back up at Robin, the little bird was watching his passenger as well. But Wally slept on, unaware of the attentive eyes while he rested.

Conner turned away, all too aware that Robin knew of his presence. His midnight snack could wait for another night.


	2. Of Breast Friends

**Characters:**_ Roy, Robin, Wally, the team…_

**Warnings: **_Get your tissue boxes ladies and gents._

**Summary:**_ Only 1% that are diagnosed are males (in America)_

**Of Breast Friends. **_I love Roy._

"_Recognize Speedy, B-Zero-Six,"_ The Mountains computer announced the arrival of the archer. The young man materialized in the cave. Instead of his usual black and red hero's garb, he was in his civvies, a sight rarely looked upon. He wasn't even wearing his sunglasses. Instead of yelling at the machine for screwing up his name for the _umpteenth_ time, Roy only walked forwards slowly, waiting for the usual welcoming party. And welcome they did.

Megan was first like usual, never far away from the entrance. The green girl came flying in and said hello excitedly, asking if he would like lunch. Roy stopped by the Mountain at least twice a month. Not because he wanted to join the team, but because he had promised Wally and Robin. He could never be far from his little brothers for long. After visiting for so long, he gained the friendship of the team, even if he still stubbornly refused to join.

But he hadn't visited for a whole month, not even calling Wally or Rob to ask how things were. Now, returning after his disappearance form the team, he was welcomed warmly.

Kal and Conner were the next to arrive, both shaking his hand as they walked to the kitchen exchanging formalities. Although this was the first time they saw the archer completely fit in his civilian clothes, they didn't mention the change. Instead they debriefed him on any events he had missed. Apparently they had gained a new member. Zatanna. Roy ignored this though, not necessarily interested in this fact.

Megan returned (Roy hadn't seen her leave) with said new member in tow along with Artemis. Both Archers exchanged formal nods. Roy shook hands with Zatanna and politely introduced himself. She was nice, but still, she was tricked into this daycare.

Finally, Robin and Wally appeared. Apparently they had been in the gym because sweat all but poured down their temples. These were his oldest friends, the only ones he allowed to hug him really. But now was not the time for hugging.

Not under the circumstances.

But despite wishful thinking, the red headed archer was tackled to the floor by another red head. Roy let out an uncomfortable grunt and tried to pry his friend off his back gently. The floor was painful on his front. But another body was added to the pile, this one much lighter, but still adding weight.

"Ugh! Get off me!" he wheezed. The floor… it was too much pressure on him, it hurt…

"No way dude! You were gone _forever_!" Wally shouted in his ear, wrapping tight arms around his waste in a crushing hug.

"It was only a month," Roy grunted out, trying to drag himself from under the pile. That one month had left him weaker than he would have liked.

"Not in speedster time! A month to _you_ equals a year for _me_!" Wally just dragged the other red head back under him, crushing him harder to the floor.

"Wally! Come one dude!" Robin had left the pile and stood pouting in front of them. "I want to hug Roy now!"

Wally, without letting go of his captive, hauled himself and his passenger to a standing position. Roy broke free of the arms though and leaned against the countertop, panting. Damn meds.

He clutched at his chest weakly, trying to calm the tender pain. But a small body latched onto his gently. Rob buried his face in his friend's sweatshirt and squeezed tight. The adorable display almost made Roy forget the soreness in the left side of his chest. Almost.

"Ok, ok," he said breathlessly, prying the little bird off of him. His gentle demeanor put a few confused looks on the team's faces. Once his friend had been detached, the archer leaned back fully on the counter and took a deep breathe, trying to regain normalcy. Finally, with a clear head and lungs filled with oxygen, he opened eyes he didn't realize he had closed.

He looked back indifferently at the team. A few eyes were searching; some concerned, a few even worried. Roy tried to smile, but new it was in vain.

"Sit down." Although it was a statement, it came off more as a question, a sad request for an audience. All stayed. Wally and Robin stood attentively in front of their friend, playful smiles replaced with ones of concern. Kal and Conner took their seats at the island stools. Megan stood next to Conner. She could feel the anxiety now, not just from her teammates, but from the red headed archer that stood in front of them. Artemis stood next to the Martian, leaning into her friend slightly, offering comfort to the telepath.

Roy turned to the final occupant in the room, Zatanna. Licking his lips, he asked hesitantly, "Could I, uh, talk to them alone?" There was a hint of pleading in the edge of his voice. The magician gave him a look that read 'What a drama queen' but obliged his offer. She left slowly, glancing around her new friends, trying to decode the situation. Ultimately, she left the room to find Black Canary to get the run down on this 'Red Arrow'.

Back in the kitchen, Roy stood before the team. After glancing at their worried faces he suddenly found his civvies converse quite interesting. But the shoes didn't offer up an explanation for his behavior.

"Roy," Robin spoke, asking a silent question. The little bird's heart dropped when he saw his friend look back up, eyes red, ready to cry. No one spoke.

Roy cleared his throat, trying to relieve the knot that formed there. Robin hopped off the counter that he had been perched on. He returned quickly with a glass of water and handed it over. Roy took the glass but didn't drink from it. He thanked Robin.

"So…" Artemis peered at her fellow archer. They still weren't on the best of terms, but Roy looked pretty distressed.

Distressed? More like Ready-To-Collapse-On-The-Fucking-Floor-And-Start-Crying-Like-a-Little-Girl-If-Didn't-Spit-It-Out-Soon.

He cleared his throat again and this time did take a gulp of water before setting the glass on the counter next to Wally.

"This," he started then cleared his throat once again. "This i-is kind of embarrassing." No one spoke, letting him gather what was left of himself.

Roy took a deep breath through his nose, cleansing his foggy head. His eyes burned and he was tempted to clear his throat again, but a wary glance at Artemis stopped him. She looked a little impatient.

"Go ahead," Roy heard someone say. Robin was the closest to him, hands tangled in his cape, clenching and unclenching. The archer felt terrible, for putting everyone through this turmoil while he worked up the guts to tell them.

Without taking his eyes off the white lenses of Robin's mask he let himself mutter the words he needed them to know. As hard and embarrassing as his situation was, Roy felt oddly comforted that this was out of his power and control.

"I've got-" he cleared his throat. "I've got breast cancer."

Conner choked on his tongue.

Roy was suddenly glad he couldn't see past the white lenses of Robin's domino mask. He was sure by the way the little bird was sucking on his teeth his friend was crying.

But no one moved. No one really knew how to react. Megan was the first to do anything. The Martian floated the distance and kissed him on the cheek and left the room. Roy acknowledged that the telepath probably was having a hard time blocking out everyone's emotions. He let her go.

"But-" Everyone looked to Wally who was opening and closing his mouth like a fish. It would have been comical if it wasn't such a… such a situation?

Robin looked up at the speedster and took his hand. Both boys looked at Roy then.

"But that's impossible," They heard Conner start but a smack that was probably Artemis hitting the clone fallowed, shutting him up.

Kaldur supplied and explanation. "Males are susceptible to breast cancer as are females but the odds are far less." Conner nodded. He would wait for a more in depth explanation later.

"Roy," Wally squeaked. "How did you- When did you know?" He was gripping Robin's hand like a life line. He didn't dare approach the other red head who looked just about ready to break like thin ice.

Roy cleared his throat again; it had become a habit of his over the past month, one that kept him from crying as long as possible. Robin recognized the tactic, but didn't speak up. The red head fingered the bottom of his sweat shirt before pulling it off. When he clutched the bottom of his shirt, his arms froze and refused to cooperate.

"You don't have to," Artemis spoke for the first time. He eyes were red along with her nose. Watery tears were threatening to break through her eyelashes.

Seeing his fellow archer break her usually stoic façade, Roy hunched his shoulders and knelt to the ground, unable to control the shaking in his limbs.

But arms were around him immediately, noticeably cautious of his chest. The archer clutched onto the body in front of him. It was small and warm and strong. Roy glanced up through teary eyes and was me with Robin's own, unmasked and all. It had been so long since he'd seen those beautiful cornflowers blue's, glinting in the light. But Roy couldn't stop to gaze. He turned his face into his friend's chest and wrapped his arms around hi best friends waste, pulling him as close as possible.

**A/N:**_ I know Roy is a bit young (ok, maybe _really_ young) to be getting male breast cancer, but I couldn't wait for him to turn fifty. Consider him a special case. The ending was kind of weak, but this was hard to write._

_I mean no disrespect to those with breast cancer, this was inspired by my cousin who(is a girl) was diagnosed a little while ago. She told me she'd seen a man in the hospital being treated for breast cancer as well. _

_Only 1% of those diagnosed in America are males. What are the odds? Please be conscious of yourself and your health and please live a long happy life._

_Moe._


	3. Of Razor burn

**Characters:** _Robin, Artemis._

**Warnings: **_Humor? Crack fic?_

**Summary:**_ It's part of the job._

_**Of Razor Burn.**__ One of the 'perks' of being Boy Wonder._

"Stupid Batman. _He's_ doesn't do it, so why do _I_ have to? I bet no one else does, well, except the girls… But that's because their _girls_!" Robin grumbled and muttered to himself as he made his way down the hallway. It wasn't necessarily the muttering that would have thrown people off if they could see him; the team knew he talked to himself plenty. No, it was more what he looked like that startled the passing Superboy. But despite being thoroughly confused, he didn't comment and walked in the other direction.

Robin was storming down the hallway of the living area in the Mountain. His glasses were foggy due to his wet black hair and steaming skin. Only two towels adorned his figure. One was slung around his waist and the other around his shoulders, stopping his wet hair from dripping down his neck.

Reaching his destination, he raised a wet fist and knocked impatiently on the door. There was some banging inside and rushed footsteps before Artemis appeared, angry and pissed.

"Baywatch! I told you already! I do _not_ want to switch bathing suits with you so get the hell out of here before I kick your ass!" she screamed. But upon opening her eyes (she hadn't realized she had closed them) she was not met by the tall red head. Looking down a couple inches she saw her youngest teammate. His face read 'I am not amused'.

"Oh, hey Rob," she said leaning on the doorframe nonchalantly. "Wassup?"

The bird raised an eyebrow above his steaming sunglasses. After a moment of silence though, he decided he didn't want to know.

_Might as well get this over with,_ he thought to himself.

"Do you have any shaving cream I could barrow?" he asked, daring his teammate to mock him. But Artemis seemed to have received the wrong message.

"Shaving cream? Shouldn't you be asking Kid Idiot for that?" she folded her arms and scrunched her brow, trying to evaluate her friend. "And, well, aren't you a little young to be shaving?" She narrowed his eyes, trying to find any whiskers on Robin's jaw.

"It's _not_ for my face," Robin supplied, voice begging his teammate to get the message before he embarrassed himself further.

"Huh?"

The little bird sighed and wiped a bit of steam off his glasses. "Ok, listen," he said, walking through her door and plopping himself and his soggy towels down on the archer's bed. He stretched out his lean legs and pointed to his left. "I was in the middle of shaving when I ran out of my own stuff." Then he pointed to the right. "And I still have to do this leg. If I don't use shaving cream, I get nasty razor burn."

Artemis' face at that moment would have made even Superboy laugh until he was blue in the face.

"You… Shave your legs?" She asked dumbly.

"_Yes_! I shave my legs, Artemis!" Boy Wonder threw his hands in the air in his exasperation (also revealing cleanly shaven pits).

"But…" The archer stood there dumbly, more than a little shocked that her baby bird did such things.

"I had to for my first costume because there weren't any leggings. Old habits die hard. Plus if I don't, not only can you kind of see it through my spandex but the hair _chafes_," he said, obviously frustrated. He flopped back on the bed, bouncing a little before the mattress settled down.

His older teammate took a glance at Robin's legs. Sure enough, the left leg was shaven to a point of silky smoothness that Artemis herself became a little jealous.

"Arty," she heard Robin growl from where he lay on the bed. "Shaving cream. Now."

"Shaving cream! Right!" she dashed to her bathroom and returned quickly with a canister, shoving it at her teammate. "Now out!" She shooed him to the door. The situation was becoming a little too weird for her liking.

"Finally!" he said and was sprinting down the hall, leaving a damp trail on the floor behind him.

After closing her door, Artemis sat down on her now damp bed. Putting a hand to her fore head, she wondered if she had really just experienced what she thought she did.

Robin shaved his legs. He had been for at _least _two years (if he had been before the team formed).

And the little bird was pretty damn good at it.

**A/N: **_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA! Oh my lordy, I've wanted to write this for so long!_

_I would like to thank all who have reviewed, favorite and added to story alerts, it means a bucket load to know people are reading… Now tell me what you think. Was that far too weird for your liking? I couldn't help it because I _knew_ Dick Grayson shaved his legs, or at least did for a little while when he wore his green underoo's. Would you like more like these?_

_Now I shall hand out the brownie points. These shall be given every time I post to a reader. Think of them as a '_Thank you!'_ sort of things._

_Reina Grayson__, you have just received the brownie points. Thanks ever so much for the support and first review._

_What would you like to see next? I _do _take requests._

_Moe._


	4. Of Girlfriends and Gangsters

**Characters: **_ Robin, Megan._

**Warnings: **_Friendship fluff._

**Summary: **_Bonding time._

_**Of Girlfriends and Gangsters.**__ Best of friends._

"-messin' with your head!"

"Yeah yeah, yeah yeah!"

"All 'cause I was making out with your friend…"

"Yeah yeah, yeah yeah!"

"Love hurts, whether it's right or wrong!"

"Yeah yeah, yeah yeah!"

"I can't stop 'cause I'm having too much fun!"

"Sing it, Megan!" Robin encouraged over the blaring music. His grin split as she kept singing, careful not to move her feet where the little bird was stationed.

The martian sang the chorus perfectly. Robin had convinced her to try it out; he knew she could do it with a little encouragement. With a little practice, Megan changed the arrangement of her vocal chords until her voice matched that of Avril Lavigne. Though despite the fact she could simply change their color, Robin insisted he paint her toenails the brightest red he could find.

The team would be going out that night, one of the few occasions they were able to be casual teenagers. Megan had simply asked her youngest teammate for his opinion on what to wear, but an hour later found the pair in the martian's room blaring Robin's Mp3. Yes, he had Avril on his playlist labeled 'workout'.

Megan's now pale toes wiggled while the song continued, the lyrics now foreign to her. She sat on the floor, back braced against the bed as she hummed with the song. Robin grinned at the toes in front of him, masterfully finishing her left foot and moving to her right. The little bird was lying on his stomach sprawled out with his face at his friend's toes. In one hand was the wand for the nail polish whilst his left was surfing through his songs, 'What The Hell' was about to end.

"Could I choose?" the martian asked shyly, holding a slender hand out to her friend.

"Go ahead," Robin told and handed the device over, going back to his task of painting her toenails. He waited patiently while his teammate looked through her options.

A few chords of techno surfaced through the speakers before Britney's voice joined in.

"_There's only two types of people in the world. The ones that entertain and ones that serve-_" Robin glanced up over the top of his sunglasses as the girl in front of him.

"_Well baby I'm I show put on kind of girl. Don't like the back seat, gotta' be first-_"

The little bird paused in his flawless painting, listening to the song he so often avoided. Why he still had it in his music list he didn't know, somehow it always seemed to surface.

"_I'm like ringleader, I call the shots-_" Megan sensed the disruption in the force (lol) that surrounded she and her friend. "_I'm like a firecracker; I make it hot when I put on a show!"_

Their eyes met for a moment, Robin's glasses too low in his position to shield his baby blues. Unconsciously, he reached a hand up and met Megan's. He hit the 'next' button on the device and the speakers silenced for a moment.

"_HAHAHAHA! …Feel good…"_ the bass shook their speakers and the next song played through the room. Robin, without looking back up at his friend, returned to his chore of painting. Megan could feel the crippled joy from her friend; saw the tension in his shoulders.

No one spoke until 'Feel Good Inc' was halfway through. Megan had been tapping her knees to the beat, but stopped when a thought came into her head.

"Hey Robin?" she said hesitantly. The little bird looked up from his station, a small friendly smile gracing his lips.

"Miss M?" he answered, dipping the wand back into the polish bottle without looking.

"Last time Artemis and I hung out, she said something interesting." She blushed lightly.

"Yeah?" Robin was really hoping this had nothing to do with him and Megan just wanted friend advice.

The telepath scrunched eyebrows, trying to remember what the archer had said. "I asked her why she was so nice to me when she's so grouchy to everybody else."

"What'd she say?"

"She said," Megan cleared her throat, changing her vocal chords to match Artemis' as best she could. "'It's what girlfriends do, silly.'" Megan looked at Robin in confusion. "What does that mean? We aren't dating so how could we be 'girlfriends'?"

The little bird couldn't help but smile and give a little giggle. The martian was being too cute. "It's a term of endearment, it doesn't mean you're dating. It only means that your really close friends."

The song changed automatically to slow guitar plucking rhythm. Some ones voice filtered through the speakers, but the pair listening didn't pay any mind.

"Endearment?" Megan considered the new take on the word and tried it on her tongue. "Girlfriends."

Robin grinned. "You've got it! She must really like you if she thinks that much of you," he encouraged.

It was quiet for a little while Robin finished the big toe on Megan's foot and capped he bottle. The bird rolled onto his back and stretched.

"Robin?"

"Miss M?"

"Are _we_ girlfriends?"

"…Yes. We qualify as girlfriends." The little bird's lips curled into a smile and he closed his eyes while he pillowed his head on his hands. He could practically feel the excitement and happiness roll off of Megan in waves. Reaching a hand towards his friend, he waited for a moment. Opening one eye, he saw his Megan looking at his hand confused. "It's a high five," he encouraged.

Megan grinned and they 'highed' the 'five' together. "Yeah gir'," Robin slurred, attempting to sound gangster. "We be girlin' the friend!"

**A/N:**_ That was fun. I can't think of Robin and Megan as anything other than 'girlfriends'. I feel like Robin has so many expectations to live up to and be manly and such that he never gets a chance to sit back and get in touch with his feminine side. As a gay, I believe it is important to exploit this part of him! _

_Artemis is too far this side of tough and girl time with the archer would most likely end up in an arm wrestle. _

_Megan and Robin forever as long as their girlin' the friend._

_Brownie points to Bluecrystalz7774 who was the first to add me to their alert list. Thanks!_

_Moe._

_Insert less than three._


	5. Of Dark Alleyways and Solo Missions

**Characters: **_Robin, Batman, random people…_

**Warnings: **_Contains mention of rape and emotional turmoil._

**Summary: **_Now Robin knows why Batman goes alone._

_**Of Dark Alleyways and Solo Missions. **__This had to have happened at some point._

Gotham City is a dark place. Although it is diverse and rich, it's rotting from the inside out. A corrupt and ugly backdrop for those that live there. None know this better than Batman and Robin, the fearless Dynamic Duo. The protectors of this grand city have seen the worst of the worst.

Robin, now by the age of fifteen, has witnessed more death, tragedy, crime and anxiety than a crazed terrorist. But there's one… situation… that the little bird had not encountered. Not until now.

Being the middle of summer, the humidity did nothing to stop troubled teens and idiots from roaming the streets of Gotham. The Caped Crusaders had split, Batman saving a bridge from being bombed while Robin stopped a bank robbery, enjoying the small solo mission. The police arrived only moments after Robin had crippled the main boss in charge of the operation. From then on, it was easy to take down the clumsy goons trying to break into the vault. After tying up the criminals in a hallway, the bird was off, back to the rooftops to patrol this end of the city.

"Haha!" Robin crowed as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, cape flying behind him as he soared and tumbled. His flips and long leaps were fluid and joyful, an elegant and practiced silhouette on the Gotham skyline. Nothing could ruin the light hearted moment for our Boy Wonder. Nothing except…

A scream erupted from an alleyway, not far from where Robin had perched on top of a library, a gargoyle being used as his look out post. The shriek was female, that was obvious enough, but underneath its outright claim to terror there was an edge of pain. Autopilot put the little bird into action. He swung from his perch and landed on a roof top almost two streets from the source of the sound.

Robin skipped over the buildings and across one street and a few alleys. Another shriek sounded, this one a bit more desperate, and it helped Robin pinpoint his destination.

"_Robin, what's your status?_" Batman buzzed over their comm. link. "_Your tracker is moving fast._"

"Got a possible mugging, Bats." Robin stated his position. "In one of the alleys near Grove Ave. No biggy, I got this one."

There was silence for a moment before Batman spoke again. "_Good luck_," he told his partner before the line went out.

Robin leapt to one last building and dropped into the alleyway below. Before him were two figures, one was a young woman being restrained by a man pushing her face first to the brick wall. It took a moment for the little bird to click the pieces into place and his jaw slackened, suddenly wishing Batman was here instead of himself. The girl let out another pained cry when the 'mugger' pushed her face into the rough wall.

"Hyeah!" Robin lets out a ferocious battle cry. Even the little bird was surprised how his jaw started to clench in anger. Taking a flying leap, he knocked the man to the ground face first. Planting a powerful and booted foot on the man's back, Robin leaned down and took a fist full of his blonde hair and wrenched his head back.

"How do _you_ like it?" he growled and smacked the man's face into the pavement hard enough to knock him out. Robin held the man's head there for a moment, ensuring the criminal wouldn't be getting up any time soon before he restrained his wrists with a zip tie from his belt.

Straightening up, the little bird removed his foot from the man's back. He stood scowling down at the bastard for a moment, almost forgetting about the young woman. Almost.

A quiet sob echoed in the small alley. Robin turned around to see the girl curled up against the wall gripping her knees and shaking. He tried to ignore the way her skirt was rucked up past her thighs. His knees quaked at the sight, at the thought of what she was feeling.

Putting a finger to his comm. unit, his voice hoarse. "Batman, transmit my coordinates to the PD, we need a pick up for the hospital." He glanced back at the unconscious man down the other end of the alley. "And I've got some _asshole_ here that needs to be hauled off too."

"_What's the situation?" _came the gruff reply, but Robin could feel that his mentor already knew. Walking forward slowly, the bird knelt down next to the young woman. She was college age, moderately beautiful and dressed well. Her purse sat not too far away. What was probably just a mugging had turned into…

"Rape," he reported.

Robin sat and waited with her while the night drew on. At first, the young woman cried, throaty, shaky sobs that wrenched through her body. The bird could do nothing while she did so, refused to let him touch her, let him treat the scrapes on her face. Eventually, she stopped, probably ran out of tears. When she stopped crying actually tears, she threw up. After that, she still (without speaking to him) shrank away from his comforting hands. After a minute or two of silence, the young woman began to shiver, her shoulders quaking despite the hot summer air.

"Here," Robin said quietly, unclipping his cape and holding it towards her cautiously. When he had offered to give her his cape before, she only cried harder. He didn't really want a repeat of that; it was starting to make his throat burn. His eyes burnt too, threatening to make tears of their own, but he refused to let them.

When she didn't reach out to take the garment, Robin almost gave up. But looking back at her now bruising face, he thought differently. Her brown eyes were still fearful but their lids were heavy, tiredly drooping. Standing up from his spot across the alley where she had banished him to a safe distance, he crossed over to her. Slowly and gently, he leaned in and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"There," he whispered encouragingly when she didn't flinch away. "Can I sit next to you?"

"Mm," she nodded and grunted quietly. He took a seat next to her, not in her space, but close enough to reach her if he needed to.

Robin considered the silence for a moment while she adjusted his cape around her. "What's your name?" he asked gently once she had found a comfortable grip inside the cape.

She didn't answer at first, as he expected. She heaved a raspy sigh before speaking. "Kendra." Robin nodded, accepting her answer.

"I like that name."

"How old are you?"

Robin paused, not expecting her to talk to him. "An age," he told her smirking. "I'm not allowed to tell," he informed her.

"You can't be that old," she whispers, voice hoarse. "You look only fourteen."

Robin snapped his head to look at her. "I take offense to that!" he joked, a small smile on his lips. Sighing, he gave her a calculating look. "Fifteen," he stated. "Almost sixteen." When the side of her mouth lifted into a hesitant smile he grinned at her. "Don't tell Batman I told you."

"I won't," she promised. "I'm twenty two."

"I figured," he reassured. Realizing fully that she was _talking_ to him, Robin could feel his heart jump a little, relief flooding his tense limbs.

"Thank you." her small voice broke the silence.

Robin glanced down at where she was curled into the wall. She looked so small and fragile the way her limbs were tucked against her body.

"It's my duty," he told her.

"How long has it _been_ your duty?"

Considering his answer, he told her truthfully, "This will be my, sixth year."

"_Wow_," he heard her breathe. "Why?"

That he knew he could not answer. It was too personal, an easy trace. "It was the natural thing for me to do. Can't say much more," he apologized.

"That's fine." Kendra shivered. From Robin's position, it looked like an entire body shudder.

They sat and waited… it was only five more minutes later when the police came, but to the pair, it felt like hours. During those few moments, Robin had not once touched her. He wanted desperately to pull the young woman into a hug and comfort her. But even if he was half to the Dynamic Duo, heroes of Gotham, Kendra wouldn't let him.

When the police finally came, a female officer helped her into one of the cars. Usually, when the cops arrived, Robin would leave, slip into the shadows. But this time was different. He reported to one of the officers the situation and was handed his cape. Couldn't forget the cape. Robin angrily tried to restrain himself from punching the criminal as he was loaded into another car, finally awake.

**[0]**

"Master Dick, are you hurt?" Alfred inquired when he was handed the cape. There was a small patch of blood near the bottom staining the usually cheerful canary yellow. It only made Dick angrier to think that it was Kendra's.

"No."

"Dick," Bruce called to him from where he sat in front of the monitor. He thanked the elderly butler and approached his mentor.

"_What_." Dick couldn't help the scowl on his face. After the police had rolled away, the bird's emotions ran rampant. A soup of anger, sadness and sympathy. Frustration.

Bruce didn't miss the strained tone. "Good job."

**A/N:**___I'm sorry that I wrote this, but it's inevitable in Gotham City. I mean no disrespect to those that find this a sensitive topic; it's a sore spot for me myself. Being gay, I've been subject to plenty humiliating things (like having my face shoved in a toilet at school). Please be conscious of your safety and that of others._

_Now onto the good things._

_Thank you all for reading and reviewing, it's wonderful to hear from you. Brownie points to __TheGrayson__who has commented twice, holy crap. So long, I'm signing off for the night._

_Moe._

_Insert less than three._


	6. Of Heroes and Leaders

**Characters: **_Robin, Kaldur… a little Batman._

**Warnings:**_ Blood, swearing, angst, the works._

**Summary:**_ Handing down the title._

_**Of Heroes and Leaders.**__ He's ready._

Robin woke up. That kind of awake where you've still got the obvious and easy option to fall back asleep. It's the sort of awakening where your dreams are still running behind your eyes, tempting you to return to the dark recesses of your mind. He didn't open his eyes immediately; he kept them closed, relaxing in the heat around him. It was warm, like being on a beach on the hottest day of the year with a humidity of zero. In fact the air was quite dry. It was thick though and it smelled of asphalt and left a bitter taste on the birds tongue. But the heat was nice, until it grew and grew, almost scorching him where he lay on hard ground… Flames licking at his skin…

Then Robin _really_ woke up.

A gurgled gasp wrenched out of his lungs and he snapped his eyes open behind his domino mask. He wheezed the smoke drenched air, lungs practically starving for oxygen. He coughed violently and something wet hit his tongue and lips. The fluid in his throat was painfully frustrating, refusing to let him breath. The bird rolled on his side to spit. What came up when he coughed hit the pavement.

Blood.

"Shit," he hissed hoarsely, forcing air into his sore lungs. Robin, still on his side, lay his head down on the hard ground beneath him, coughing up more blood for a minute while he tried to catch his breath.

Around him, all he could see was fire. It was a blazing inferno releasing smoke into the night air making the already black sky darker. Somehow, by some bat crazy luck, he was in a small clearing devoid of rubble to burn. Someone was talking to him, he could hear the buzzing in his ear but with a quick (and painful) look around he found no one there.

"_Robin! Robin, do you copy!_" The voice suddenly was given depth and it split into his ear. Metaphorically of course.

"B-Bruce?" he coughed, putting a finger to the comm. link in his ear. "What's happeni-" A gurgled choke hitched in his throat and the bird took a moment to spit more blood onto the concrete. "What's going on?"

"_Are you ok?_" Batman's voice wasn't that of his hero persona anymore, it was the voice of his surrogate father, concerned and worried. "_Are you hurt?_"

Robin considered answering with a lie, one that consisted of the words 'Duh, why would I _not_ be?' but looking at the pool of blood he'd been coughing up, he realized it wasn't the time for witty banter. "Everything _hurts_," was all he was able to tell his mentor, instead of describing where the pain blossomed. It seemed to be coming from his ribs. Shit, what if his lung was punctured?

"_You'll be fine, I promise._" Robin smirked. "_Is anything broken?_"

The bird did a quick but fast mental check on his body. Mostly he just felt sore, but he would never know until he moved. Slowly he flexed each muscle starting with his toes. "Mostly just some bruising," he answered when he'd reached his hips, not daring to move anything further than that. The pain in his torso increased despite his careful movements.

"_Mostly? What's the extent?_"

"I t-think I broke some r-ribs?" Robin panted, taking shallow breathes so as not to upset any fractures. It was silent for a moment, neither speaking. "What happened?"

"_The building the team was evacuating collapsed when the bomb went off…_"

"The _team_?" Robin almost shouted. "Are they okay?" His limbs started shaking, another bloody cough jumping past his lips. If any of his teammates were hurt, what would that mean for Young Justice? Each of the members relied on each other for support. Pull one and the structure comes tumbling down.

When his mentor spoke next, it was hesitant. "_…Their all out… Only a few injuries."_

"Dammit, B-Bruce!" Pain came with his angry gasp, zipping up his spine like tiny razor scraping his nerves. "I thought we weren't going to lie to each other! Who's left?"

"_Robin, I really don't think-"_

"No, you don't think. It's not your team!" The bird pushed himself onto his elbows, another bloody cough hitting the pavement below. "W-who's left?" His throat was unbelievably dry and the blood was making his tongue stick to the roof of his mouth. _"Bruce-"_

"_No. You will not pursue. I have your coordinates and I'm coming to get you."_ It was the Batman voice, an order. But sometimes, rules are meant to be broken.

"Fuck it!" Robin heaved himself up off the ground and onto his feet, only to topple back over when he received a serious head rush. Growling, he pulled out his staff from his belt and expanded it, using it as a prop to stand again painfully.

"_Robin, you will stay where you are! That's an order!"_

"I'm _not_ going to leave my team Bruce! They're my family too!"

"_When I get to you, your going straight-" _Robin ripped the device out of his ear and threw it on the ground before smashing it with his foot. He took a few steps forward before collapsing again. It took him a minute to fight through the grating pain of his ribs and the shuddering coughs before he made it out of his safe clearing.

The fire was intense. Flames roared around him, even deafening all other noises. But still, between bloody wheezes, he called out to no one in particular, ruining his already rasping throat. It felt like hours before he got a response. It was a dull groaning when he passed a pile of rubble that wasn't on fire yet. Turning painfully, he limped towards it, a twisted ankle limiting his speed. A dark hand lay limply between the wreckage.

"Aqua lad?" Robin called hopefully. The reply was only another pained cry. "Kal!" Boy Wonder, despite the immense pain it caused him (and the blood it gathered in the back of his throat) leapt at the hand quickly finding a pulse. It was slow and faint, but still there. "Kal! You're going to be okay!" He cleared away a few hunks of cement and brick, careful of any live wires there. Finally finding his leaders face, the bird grinned to see he was alright. But when his eyes traveled to Kaldur's left shoulder…

He threw up. His leader's shoulder bone was literally poking out past the skin, muscle torn and pulled around it.

"Shit. Oh crap," he whined to himself, trying not to lose the rest of his stomach while he evaluated the situation. "Oh no. No. No no nonono…"

Kal groaned. "Robin?" he asked hoarsely. "Are you alright?"

"Dude, I'm not the one who should be asking that!" But he took a deep breath. "Y-yeah, Kal, I'm okay. How you f-feeling?" Robin extended a hand to his friends face, cupping the bruising chin.

"_Hurts…_" Was all he offered.

"I know, Kal," he reassured. "I-I know." The Atlantian's eyes were squeezed shut. "Batman's coming, you're going to okay. Do you hear me?"

His leader only grunted. Then Robin remembered the previous conversation with his mentor. He smashed his comm. unit… He wouldn't be able to find him now and he wouldn't be able to tell his mentor to hurry the hell up.

"Listen Kaldur, it might be a while before Bats gets here so you _need_ to stay awake with me, okay?" His friend only grunted again. "Talk to me. Tell me about… tell me about home, Atlantis." Robin only wanted to distract the fish from the pain while keeping him awake at the same time. If Kaldur blacked out, he might not wake up due to blood loss. And Robin thought _he_ was having problems.

While the Atlantian mumbled away in his native tongue, Robin rifled through his belt, searching desperately for the morphine that he kept for such occasions. Finding the packet, he ripped it open and poured the white military issue powder onto his friends wound, trying not to gag at the gruesome sight.

An explosion nearby rattled the two from their shrinking world. Kaldur seemed so out of character to his teammate. The usually stoic and brave was whimpering and cringing on the hard ground, bone splitting through his skin and blood flowing down his shoulder.

"K-Kal?" The Atlantian had stopped mumbling and Robin feared the worst. "Kaldur!"

It took a moment for his friend to respond but he did. "I-it's ok, Robin." The bird sighed in relief. The exasperated breath made him cough up more blood. "Robin…"

"W-what?" he snapped to attention, ignoring the choking fluid in his throat.

"If you get out-"

"_When_ _we_ get out-"

"You will be leader."

It was silent. Well, as silent as you can get when there's a raging inferno around you. But the bird had forgotten about that a long time ago. Robin wanted to protest, but Kaldur's eyes opened, the silver pleading for his teammate to understand. They both knew the two would survive, someone would save them. But it was almost like a dying man's last wish. Except he wasn't dying… _right?_

Robin looked down at his friend.

"Okay Kal."

**A/N:**_ Whoop for dying Kaldur!_

_NO! I'M JUST KIDDING! I LOVE THIS SEXY MOFO SO HE SHALL NOT DIE! Batman will save them and they can live happily ever after._

_**I TAKE REQUESTS!**__ I would like to make that clear because I cannot guarantee that I will have enough idea's to post in this as often as I have been. Plus, I love to hear what people like to read._

_Moe._

_Insert less than three._


	7. Of Laughing Gas

**Characters:**_ Robin, Joker, Batman._

**Warnings:**_ Violence._

**Summary:**_ First time fighters._

_**Of Laughing Gas.**__ Why so serious?_

The dark body hit the ground face first, cape falling over the downed figure.

"_Yeh he he HE! Ho HA! HAHAHA!"_ The ear scraping laugh echoed through the streets of Gotham. "I couldn't help it! He doesn't smile enough!" Joker doubled over in hysterics.

"Batman!" Robin, leapt past one of the psycho's goons, stepping on their face in the process. Sliding across the rooftop to his mentor, he rolled over the now limp body. The bird had to pull his mentor's arms away from his face to get a good look.

The tortured grin was only beginning to form, but it was there none the less. Lips curling upwards, body going stiff… It was frightening.

"Robi- Heh- n," Batman gasped out, trying to push his partner away. "Sto-hop Joker er eh ha ha!" To the bird it almost sounded like a choked sob instead of a laugh. Batman doesn't laugh.

"Poor birdie…" Robin can see Joker looming out of the corner of his eye. He's grinning like always. "No Daddy Bat to get in the way…"

The frantic bird flipped open one of the pouches in his belt, pulling the syringe out. Finding a week spot in his mentor's armor, he jabbed it through like an epi pen. The effect was almost immediate, the growing painful grin he saw was released and a tired gasp left Batman's lips. Unfortunately, one of the side effects of the antidote was fatigue which left the little bird all alone.

"Come face me Boy Blunder, we've got a score to settle…"

Robin stood, watching his mentor hesitantly before he turned, knees threatening to give out under him from nerves. He was only twelve. He'd never faced the Joker alone before…

"D'aww! He's _scared_!" the clown cackled. "Ha HA! You'd think he was afraid of heights!" They were in the business district; only skyscrapers clothed this part of the dark city.

"You don't know the half of it," Robin mumbled. Joker strolled forward, smiling threateningly. There was really only one option. Fight.

The bird leapt forward, hoping to tackle his opponent to the ground in order to subdue him, but the Joker merely stepped aside yawning. "Batman _really_ needs to train you better," he remarked. "You're quite slow." Robin flipped mid air so he would land crouched facing the smirking clown. One of the goons came barreling towards him from the left. He rolled forwards and let the large man tumble past him. Another man, hired muscle, came from the other direction only to have his legs kicked from under him.

"You're goons are slower."

"Ouch, now that just hurts!" Joker crooned, faking sadness. "C'mon kiddy! Come fight Joker!"

"Hyeah!" Robin shouted, jumping off the ground on acrobatic legs. He hit Joker this time, sending both himself and the clown sliding across the building towards the edge of the roof. Joker kicked out his legs from where he was pinned beneath the boy, sending the lithe form tumbling closer to the edge.

The bird rolled and stood in one go, only to launch himself back at his attacker. Joker rolled out of striking distance and onto his feet as well. "Oh c'mon!" Joker cackled. "Give us a show!" The villain leapt towards the hero, a fist hitting the air where the bird had just been. "Stay still so I can _hit_ you!" he growled, only mildly frustrated.

"Agh!" Robin choked as a punch landed successfully in his stomach. He allowed himself to double over for only a moment while he sucked breath into his lungs. He dropped and swept his right leg, knocking Joker's loafer clad feet out from under him. The clown caught himself on his hands, rolling away from an agile kick before getting into a crouch. Reaching inside his jacket he threw three small, hard cubes at his opponent. The red cubes exploded sending smoke into the air before Robin could prepare himself.

"You _really_ should be careful where we walk _baby bird_…" he heard the Joker cackle. "Don't want to misplace ourselves, now do we?"

The smoke filled the rooftop limiting vision clarity to about two feet's worth, but no more. Robin dropped into a fighting stance, preparing himself for an attack that didn't come. Instead, he started to feel a little tingling in the back of his skull. At first the bird wrote it off as a side effect to the smoke he was breathing in. It was warm so it didn't feel like an immediate threat…

"Come out here and face me you loony!" he called into the haze, but no reply came. Great. Had Joker gotten away? That would have been the third time that week, Batman would _not_ be happy. _Batman_. He was still unconscious across the rooftop. If Joker was free to roam away from the bird, what if he'd taken Batman? What if he'd _Killed Batman_?

Robin took a deep breath, trying to clear any and all disturbing thoughts. He would find Batman.

The bird started to walk slowly through the smoke, the warm buzzing feeling making his shoulder's lose their tension. He dropped his fists to his sides and relaxed his muscles. This wasn't so bad. At least he didn't have to fight anymore. He would find Batman and they would go home; try again another day to apprehend the Joker.

"Batman?" he called. He didn't remember his voice sounding that way. Why was it strained? And why was he calling out to his mentor? Wasn't Batman unconscious? Oh well. "Batman! Yoo-hoo!" he giggled. Slowly, Robin could feel the buzzing in his finger tips. It spread past his wrists and up his arms, setting off his funny bones. But for some reason, the usually annoying feeling of setting off that batch of nerves in his elbows didn't hurt. In fact, the buzzing tickled.

"Heh." He let slip a light hearted giggle. "He he!" It was in his shoulders, his neck and his face. The tickling sensation finally made it past his knees and into his toes making him feel like he was walking on pins and needles. It made him stand still, curling his toes and fingers into the sensation. "Ha ha ha!" Laughter bubbled up whether he wanted it to or not, a smile tugging at his lips and curling them past his teeth. "He he! Ha ha haha _HAHA!_" he choked out the laughter, it became painful though, not allowing him to breath properly.

He collapsed. It was like tickle torture from an unrelenting terrorist. It buzzed in his ribs and in his brain, behind his eyes and under his toes, squeezing every last bit of air out of his lungs. "_HAHAH! AHA ha-HELP-P!" _he managed to moan. He curled into a little ball, hoping to suppress the laughter. He tugged on his straining cheeks.

It was terrifying. His lips were practically cracking under the strain of the toothy grin that forced itself onto his face. "B-Batma-ahah-n-" he squawked again. "_HAHA!" _

A dark shadow swirled through the smoke around him. Through streaming eyes he saw the face of his mentor come into view. Something sharp pierced his side.

"HaHA! It- ahaha-h-hurts!" he strained to say. "H-help-p!"

Strong arms gripped his shoulders, holding his shaking body to the rooftop below him. He could hear the bat telling him something, something along the lines of 'you're ok,' and 'hush lad, we'll get you home'. But Robin's ears were ringing. Whether it was from the antidote or from simple lack of oxygen, the bird fell unconscious, uncharacteristically welcoming the dark.

**A/N:**_ Helloooo readers. You know I love you, right? This was for __TheGrayson__! I shall have more Gotham villains for you in the future!_

_Anywho, thanks everyone for favoriting, reviewing and adding me to story alerts, I've been getting SO many updates. BROWNIE POINTS to the wonderful __MistressOfRObin__ who gave me the longest review of my LIFE. My little sister, Danni, straight out _refused _to be Robin for Halloween (she managed to break my heart in the process). She won't be anything other than Danny Phantom… She's such a cutey!_

_**I TAKE REQUESTS!**_

_Moe._

_Insert less than three._


	8. Of Birthday Suits

**Characters:** _Robin, the team._

**Warnings: **_Mentions of nudity and underage drinking. I was in tears writing this._

**Summary:**_ Dick's sixteenth birthday._

_**Of Birthday Suits.**_ _Best. Birthday. Ever._

He had to be drunk (which he was). That was the only way he could possibly be letting this happen. He did remember having a _few_ drinks back at the mountain… Damn Wally for bringing the stuff, it's not like the speedster could actually get _drunk_ like the rest of them. But it was his birthday, and Dick felt himself _more_ than capable of handling himself in any situation, even if it was a drunken stupor.

But still, he was starting to have second thoughts as they ran down to the beach.

"Baywatch, give me back my towel _now_!" Artemis screamed at the top of her lungs, Megan pulling her close so they could share her own beach covering.

"Oh c'mon!" the red head laughed from where he now stood next to Robin. "It's not like we can see anything!"

"Yes, it _is_ like you can see anything! There's a god damned full moon out you idiot!" The seething archer shrunk closer to her martian friend, trying to hide from view. "Just turn around so I can get in the water and get this over with!" Wally pouted for a moment before complying, tossing Artemis's towel on the sand as well.

"What, might I ask, is the point of this adventure?" They heard Kal ask. His voice was slurring lightly, his native accent becoming obvious.

"Yeah, this is kind of stupid," Conner chimed from his spot next to their leader. Before anyone could continue the conversation, a pale, naked body went sprinting past them, blonde hair flying. With a loud 'Whoop!', the archer dove into the ocean, immediately resurfacing.

"Mother of-" she spluttered. "It's _cold_!" she immediately wrapped her arms around herself and started shivering.

"No dip! It's the _ocean_!" Wally called back sarcastically. "What did you expect?"

"Not _this_, smart ass!" The speedster let out a huff. The group on the beach watched almost awkwardly as she dunked a couple times, making sure her mane of hair was completely soaked. "C'mon girls! You get used to after a minute!" she called. On shore, Megan and Zatara glanced at each other then back at the boys who were standing completely still.

"Well?" the magician cocked a hip beneath her towel. "Are you gonna' turn around or what?" Blushing, the boys turned around again, this time fully. When they heard the splashes from the giggling girls they looked back over their shoulders. The three were in the water practically embracing to keep off the frigid shivers from the night cold water. It was summer though, the air offered a bit of comfort.

"Let's get this over with!" Conner shouted and sprinted towards the water line, ditching his towel at the very last moment only to have it land half on the beach and half in the salty ocean. The splash he created hit the girls who were huddled about five yards away, sending a mini tidal wave to fallow the initial spray. There was some high pitched shrieking from their general direction.

"_Conner!_" they whined almost in unison, wiping the salty water from their eyes. He only shrugged.

"Come on guys, it's not that bad!" he called to the rest of his teammates on shore. He walked backwards until he submerged in the water up to his pits like the girls were; only he did so to make more room jumping for their friends.

Kaldur heaved a sigh and trudged through the sand. Usually he would have walked confidently, but the alcohol he had consumed just a little while ago made his toes dig into the warm night sand. He dropped his beach towel before wading in, ignoring the eyes of his team mates. He took his place near Conner, fingers gliding over the surface of the calm ocean as if in a trance.

"Race ya', Rob!" Wally practically screamed. But before anyone could move, he was already splashing down into the water to resurface half a minute later.

"_Ew!_" the girls started backing away from the speedster who had come up for air only a few feet away with sly grin.

"_What_?" he groaned. "It's not like I can open my eyes when I'm under!"

"It's warm!" they shrieked accusingly. Wally looked taken aback.

"What? I didn't pee! I went before we came down here!"

"Whatever baywatch…"

It was quiet for a moment before all hell broke loose. Water was being splashed and team mates were being pushed around. Kaldur cheated obviously. The water war continued between the friends before Wally turned to splash Robin. But the bird wasn't in the water yet.

"C'mon Rob!" he called, waving to where his best friend sat in the sand. "The water's fine once you get over the initially shock when it hits your-"

"We _don't_ want to hear the rest of that!" Zatara called, splashing at his back.

Wally stuck his tongue out at her before looking back at his friend. Robin sat in the sand, legs extended in front of him with his towel wrapped around his waist. He was leaning back with his hands behind him, head looking straight despite the alcohol in his system. "Rob! Get in here so I can splash you!" Wally called. The birthday boy didn't seem to notice though. Instead, the bird looked up at the night sky through dark sunglasses. He laid back, skin resting gently on the sand.

"Is he okay?" he heard Megan ask their team mates. "He is kind of young…" She was referring to the alcohol.

"I'm fine you guys," he called to them nonchalantly. "Just give me a minute?" Without waiting for a response, Robin pulled off his sunglasses and set them down in the sand next o his head. No one in the water would be able to see his eyes and besides, it was his birthday. He should get to take the glasses off, right?

The sand was oddly warm beneath him, grains rolling under his skin to cushion his body. It would be a pain later to get the tiny sand grits from his black hair later, but that didn't concern him now. Instead, he listened to his friends, the quiet splashing and murmurs while they talked. Once in a while Artemis would accuse Wally of getting to close to one of the girls. Above the bird, the clear sky seemed to stretch on for ages. The crisp light of the stars and full moon made the sand look like gritty snow if he looked at it long enough. Maybe he was just drunk, but the warm content feeling in his skull almost lulled him to sleep. Batman was going to kill him for drinking.

No, _Bruce_ was going to kill him for drinking. That was somehow worse than the former. But Dick couldn't give two hoots worth of care and closed his eyes to the calm night.

He thought about his parents. Not in a sad way, but reminiscing in the modest birthdays he would have as a child. He thought about Bruce and Alfred and the extravagant party's that were thrown for him. But to Dick, there didn't seem to be such a big difference. Sure, the humble quotient was on different ends of the meter for both situations, but they both felt similar. While the party's from Bruce were extravagant, they were obviously expected from the billionaire. The public wouldn't accept that the playboy Bruce Wayne would spend that night after the celebration curled up on a couch with his son sleeping against his side, a pint of ice cream half finished on the coffee table and a movie playing on mute. Dick's real parents didn't have the weight of others expectations and were able to skip right to the good part filled with mushy hugs and love filled glances. The two families weren't that different.

"Robin! Get your ass in the water before I drag you in!" His teammates were calling to him.

In his hazy stupor, Dick sat up. Everyone shut their mouths and watched silently, none mentioning the lack of covering on his eyes. Feeling his face, he sighed. "Guys, it's not like you're going to tell," he reassured smiling.

"alright Boy Wonder," Wally called. "Drop the towel and do the walk of shame while we sing to you!"

"Do I really have to?" the bird began to whine.

"Yes!" his teammates chorused. "It was part of the deal!" Conner chimed.

Huffing an amused sigh, Dick pushed up off the ground and stood tall. He yanked at the knot in his beach towel and slowly let it slide from his hips…

"You cheater!" Artemis screamed to the world! "You can't wear underwear when you go skinny dipping!"

**[0]**

After being robbed of his undergarments, the bird was forced to walk to the water's edge under the eyes of his friends. With the alcohol still in his blood, he couldn't come to care that they were watching him. They were laughing though. Not at him, of course not. But the situation was simply… funny.

"_-thday to you!_" they chorused while he reached the edge of the water. "_Happy Birthday dear Robin… Happy Birthday to you!"_ He jumped and dove in. Laughing under water was not what he meant to do, but he came up spluttering anyways.

There were arms on him though, tugging him up to stand and then they were in circling him, voices laughing and cheering and they all joined in a group hug.

"Guys!" he squawked while the breath was pushed out of his lungs. "I can't _breathe_ and I'm pretty sure you're all _naked!_"

**A/N:**___So cute. I wanted an excuse to have them all skinny dipping… it had to have happened once, amiright? Or amiright? Oh well. Halloween's coming up? What are y'all going to be? Review! What do you want me to write about? I would love to write something for you kiddies._

_**I TAKE REQUESTS!**_

_This was for __MistressOfRobin__, it has a lil' Robin/Wally but I'll make more for you, I promise. Love you all for reviewing, how many times have I said that?_

_Moe._

_Insert less than three._


	9. Of Broken Wings

**Characters:** _Robin, Joker, the team._

**Warnings: **_Shameless Robin torture. And swearing._

**Summary:**_ "Empty room, just me and you…"_

_**Of Broken Wings. **__And not the good kind of Bat._

"Heh ha," a cold hand patted his cheek. "Wakey wakey!" Crooned an odd voice. Robin groaned and kept his eyes closed to the bright light that he knew was beyond his eyelids. "Early bird gets the worm…" The voice continued. "_But the caged one has clipped wings!"_

Pain blossomed suddenly forcing Robin's eyes open behind the mask and waking him fully. He let out a broken yelp before a cold hand was slapped over his mouth, muffling the startled noise. The sharp pain only stayed in his left knee cap. It wasn't bad; it only felt like he had fallen down on the joint. But before the bird could take in his surroundings there was a sickening _crack_.

It took a moment before he felt the next blow. It was again in his left knee but the pain hadn't fully registered in his brain yet. But when it did, he bit his lip to distract himself from making noise and he clenches his eyes shut. The hand was removed from his mouth and Robin took in a shaky breath. The air was cold, freezing even. Goose flesh rippled up his spine from both the air and the pain in his leg. The sharp ache made his hip tremble.

"D'aww!" The voice was across the room now. "Is the wittle birdie scared?" It called. Robin cracked open one eye. There, across the room picking up some rusty pliers was the Joker. The man was dressed in his usual purple garb. His jacket had been removed though and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows. Robin rolled his head to look around the room. It was small, but not claustrophobic small. It was empty except for himself and his captor along with a small cart with…

Shit. Was that a… chainsaw? He swallowed dryly. Joker walked forwards slowly, smiling of course, and leant down to come eye to eye with his favorite bird.

"Good morning _sunshine_," he whispered. But he snapped his head back in hysterics a moment later. While the psycho was laughing, Robin did a quick mental check. He didn't know where he was or how he'd gotten there. Great. He was restrained to a metal table by his hands and feet. Wonderful. And by lifting his head he could see… The Joker had already shattered his left knee cap; the pain was still very fresh and very, very real.

"Before we _begin_," Joker crooned, coming down from his fit. "Isn't it a bit more polite to look people in the eye?" he asked. He reached up a gloved hand to Robin's face. The bird tried to protest, but no noise came from his mouth except a choking sound. What the hell? He pulled his head away from the hand but didn't get very far. The mask was peeled slowly from his face, the glue on his skin ripping away.

"There… Isn't that better?" Joker crooned, but stopped. "_Open your eyes!_" he shouted threateningly.

Robin was sure that if he could speak, he'd be spitting out witty banter. But as it was, all he could do was clench his eyelids tighter and shake his head. "Fine," Joker growled. The man gave a short giggle. "You'll open them eventually…"

It was quiet for a moment. Robin couldn't hear the man moving but he could feel the air changing around him, signally the Jokers shifting. A hand gripped his right wrist where it was cuffed to the table. "Relax," the Joker soothed. If you didn't know it was the Joker, it might have actually been a calming suggestion, but Robin knew better.

Something felt strange in the little bird's head, like the back of his eye balls had been scraped off. He was missing something. How had he gotten here? And where in the world was Batman? Oh no, was Batman hurt? Would he be able to come save Robin? No nonono, stop thinking like that.

"IAGH!" An unexpected yelp left Robin's throat. Something was _hurting_! Was Joker…? No, he wouldn't… He was. The little bird bit his lip hard when the Joker pulled harder on his fingernail with the pliers, the sensitive nerves there screaming at the unwanted pain. It was just a fingernail, so why did it hurt so _much_!

_Robin!_ A few echoed in his head. _Robin, can you hear me?_ It was Megan. The bird never thought he be so happy to feel his brain being intruded on.

_Megan! H-Help!_ He called back mentally. Before he could supply any other conversation… the fingernail was ripped right out of his skin. H whimpered just a little in the back of his throat. Another nail was being tugged on, and Joker was cooing softly above him, laughing all the while.

"Open your eyes little birdie!" he cackled. Another fingernail gone. Something hard hit him in the stomach, knocking the air from his distressed lungs. Before he could open his mouth to gasp, a third nail was ripped off his slender finger.

He opened his eyes. Shit.

"Ha _HA!_" Joker cried successfully above him. "Yee heh heh!" The madman took no time to hesitate when he punched the boy in the face. While his head tried to clear Robin could feel blood slipping from his nose and onto his lip. Another fingernail. There was a sickening crack as his shattered left knee cap was struck again. The fiery white pain only produced choked yelps from the tied bird, something kept him from speaking actual words.

His leg trembled from the sharp ache in his joint. It was like waking up in the middle of the night with a leg cramp and you had no idea how to fix it, too tired to help yourself so you stayed in bed and clutched at the appendage. But Robin couldn't reach his knee. Another fingernail. His hip shook, the tingling pain constricting his muscles irregularly. A punch to the ribs.

_Robin! Where are you?_ He heard Megan's frantic voice in her head, more voices chorusing their concern. But the little bird couldn't speak, not even mentally. Instead, he forced every bit of pain he was experiencing into one message and shoved it in Megan's mental direction. A last attempt for a call for help.

He knew it was unfair; he would be putting his friends in pain to. But that was the only response he could muster.

Another fingernail. Maybe he could ask Catwoman if he could barrow a set of her fake nails next time they saw each other.

_We're coming Robin!_ He heard Kal reassure him.

**A/N: **_Why do I suck at torture scenes? Freaking Joker is hard to write. This so short. Damn._

_I know it's short, but I'll work on more for you. This was for __Reina Grayson__, go check their story's, they're pretty awesome!_

_**REQUEST ME!**_

_I love you people, I do._

_Moe._


	10. Of Foot Shakes

**Characters: **_Robin, Artemis._

**Warnings: **_None really. Prepare for friendship fluff._

**Summary:**_ Flexible, anyone?_

_**Of Foot Shakes. **__She should have guessed by now._

Robin reached up cautiously. The fist he had raised to the door knocked softly. Inside the room, he could hear his friend moving around, feet shuffling on the carpet. Artemis opened the door and looked down at her team mate, laptop propped against one hip. Her face didn't show much surprise when she spotted the bruise sporting his left cheek bone, she had seen him get hit during the mission anyways.

"What can I do for ya' birdie?" she asked tiredly.

Robin walked past her and sat down heavily on the bed, body tired from the bad guys they'd fought not too long ago. Instead of answering (because it was simply embarrassing) he pointed to the bruise. The archer lifted an eyebrow in question. "What about it?" she asked. She wanted to huff in exasperation when the bird still didn't answer.

He mumbled something though, under his breath. "Hm?" she asked, teasingly. "Got a secret?"

"Do you have any cover up I can use?" he muttered, just a bit louder than before. Artemis smirked at her bird and put her laptop down next to him. After ruffling his hair (actually giving him a rough noogie) she marched to her bathroom.

"Wow, Rob!" she called while rummaging loudly through her drawers. "First it was the shaving cream, and then you needed exfoliant when you broke out! Now it's cover up?" She peered around the door slyly. "Next thing you know, you'll be asking for tampons!" She gave a laugh before returning to search. Her compact had to be here somewhere!

It was silent. Artemis wasn't expecting that, she _had _expected a clever retort. She peeked back around the doorframe at the little bird that perched at the end of her bed. She raised a questioning eyebrow, but he wasn't looking at her. Instead, Robin sat with his back against the wall and his legs extended straight across the bed in front of him. He was looking forlornly at his thighs, almost scowling at the muscles there. He brought a hand into his line of vision and stretched the fingers, extending them as if he were modeling silver rings for a photo shoot. His fingers were slender and his hands almost dainty if you didn't count the strong calluses there. His fingernails weren't chewed up like she expected, Artemis found that boys were kind of gross that way. Robin's palms weren't square like most other males', more gently boned and shaped.

He dropped his gaze back to his legs and pointed his toes. His ankles hyper extended until his toes touched the mattress below, but he didn't stop there, only relaxing the joints until the balls of his feet rested flat on the covers. He bent forward from his ninety degree angle in which he sat, back straight the entire time. His body folded in half and he grasped his heels as if it were as easy a position as any. The bird let out a sigh.

"H-how are you doing that?" Artemis stammered from the doorway, jaw slack.

Bird Wonder instantly popped back up from his stretched pose and into a lazy recline against the wall. Brushing off his surprise, he asked nonchalantly, "doing what?"

The archer only stared at him for another moment. She knew her team mate was flexible, but she hadn't realized just _how_ rubber banded his joints and bones seemed to be. Robin slouched further under her gaze.

"I'm an acrobat, it's kind of a requirement," he huffed impatiently. He then pointed stubbornly to his bruised cheek. "Cover up," he reminded her.

Artemis returned back to the bathroom, rummaging through her over night bathroom bag. "Duh you're an acrobat, but that sort of thing doesn't just get learned!"

"It's genetic," Robin called back to her from the bedroom. "Hyper mobility runs in the family." He almost sounded frustrated though. The edge in his voice was on the defensive.

"So, does that mean Batman can do that?" she asked. She wrenched open a pocket in one of her duffels she had stashed in the bathroom closet. She paused though, an awkward smirk playing on her lips at the thought of the Dark Knight bending like a ballerina.

It was quiet for a moment before Robin answered. "Batman's not my dad." Artemis stopped her search. That was a bit personal, right? Bird Brain didn't share that sort of information with anyone, right?

Finding what she was looking for, she walked back to her bedroom. Robin, again, had bent himself into some impossible position. The look on his face seemed a little foreign to Artemis though. He almost looked, reminiscing.

Her team mate was on his stomach, chin propped on his hands and elbows on the bed. But that was pretty much all that touched the bed. His hips were lifted slightly off the bed on account that his legs were bent over him and his feet were perched lightly on his shoulders, toes playing with the ends of his sunglasses.

"You have got to stop doing that," the archer stated. "It's almost like you're made from bendy straws."

Robin smiled, taking it as a complement (which it kind of was). It was quiet for a moment after Artemis handed over the makeup. Taking a seat next o him, she rested her laptop back on her folded knees and watched her friend over the top of it. She thought he would leave once she had found the cover up, but instead he stayed in the awkwardly painful looking pose.

"Um…" she filled the silence.

The little bird's toes played with the ends of his sunglasses some more while the compact in his hands was snapped open and closed a couple times. "Arty," Robin sighed. He turned his head to look at her. "Don't tell." His toes popped up and his sunglasses fell away to be caught by Robin's waiting hands.

"Rob-"

"Dick." He smiled. "Dick Grayson." Somehow he rotated his right hip and extended a lean leg towards his friend. When Artemis eyed the foot, gaze flitting between the sock covered toes and Robin's blue eyes, he laughed. "It's just a hand shake," he laughed. "Well, foot shake I guess. It's nice to meet you."

The archer just stared dumbly.

"Wow, I thought you'd be excited!" he laughed and sat up normally and held out his right hand. "Better?" She shook his hand.

"Y-you…" she stammered. She froze. "_You_! You're Dick Grayson! But how can you be-and I see you at school-but now your-so-ugh!" she flopped back on her bed, laptop bouncing on her knees. She flopped an arm over her face in embarrassment. "I don't even _know_ who you are! Just some rich kid charity case at school who just so happened to talk to me a couple times…" She paused again before glaring at him under her arm. "_The first day of school_," she hissed. "That was _you!_"

Dick could only smile. Reaching into his pocket, he hit the 'send' button on his phone.

On Artemis' bed side table, her own phone vibrated and lit up. On the display screen was a pop up alert. '**New Multi Media Message. Press OK to download this picture.**'

**A/N:**___Yippee! Two chap's in one day! _

_Not much to say except thank you for reviews and favoriting! Also… I can't say it enough… __**I TAKE REQUSTS!**_

_Moe._

_Insert less than three._


	11. Of Fear Gas

**Character: **_Dick Grayson, Scarecrow, the team and a tiny spoonful of Batman._

**Warnings: **_Shameless torture of little Dickie bird. Blood, death, crying, screaming._

**Summary: **_"Hide your body from the Scarecrow, everybody hide!"_

_**Of Fear Gas.**__ "Make a wish when your childhood dies…"_

"Scarecrow has been threatening Gotham's finest and there has been a tip off that he has a ransom kidnap planned for one of my citizen's." The team watched Batman with blank faces while he debriefed them. He wanted them to babysit? Really? "Richard Grayson has been pin pointed as Scarecrows next victim. There are too many opportunities in his day to be kidnapped."

A huff came from the seat in the corner where Dick sat, but no one heard. He didn't look very impressed with the league of young heroes that were supposed to protect him. The young boy was slouched in his seat hoping to deter any calculating eyes that looked his way. He'd slicked back his hair, put on expensive (but not form fitting) clothes and, of course, removed his sunglasses. But even though he stood with a different posture, changed his voice to that of a boy going through puberty and pursed his lips whenever Wally jumped around, he was still certain his team mates would figure it out. Figure what out exactly?

_THAT HE WAS THE FREAKING BOY WONDER OF GOTHAM CITY. _Yeah. That.

He gazed around the conference room at his friends who were focused on his mentor. Wally knew of course, that he was his baby bird in disguise, but the rest didn't. Dick wanted nothing more than to high five his favorite speedster when they met, but a quick glance at Batman discouraged any warm feelings he had. Instead, he shook hands politely with each, feigning fan boy interest in the fact the he was meeting Young Justice in person. He even forced himself to swoon over his mentor. When Batman would glare, he made sure to cringe. When Batman would walk, he made sure to trail tentivly behind him. When Batman would say something about Bruce freaking Wayne, Dick forced himself to swallow a smirk and think of puppies instead to make it look like he worshipped his surrogate father.

A father who set up this whole deal because Batman was needed elsewhere. Probably protecting the president or shooting down aliens from the Watch Tower… And so Dick Grayson was left in the hands of his own team who didn't a have any idea it was their baby bird sitting in front of them, wide blue eyes shining in an admiring way for the heroes that would save his life at any cost and-

Oh, who was he kidding! His team mates couldn't protect Dick Grayson if they didn't have Robin! Well, if you get technical, they _did_ have their bird present… but that's not the point!

Maybe he could sneak away, beg Bruce to let him stay home with Alfred, or at least disappear for a while whilst Robin strolled the streets instead of Dick Grayson. But nooOOoo… Dick Grayson needed to make an appearance in the city to keep the civilians calm, so that they would know that if their golden boy was safe, they would be too! So Dick was left in his rich kid form so he could stand by while his team mates took down the baddies.

So he would be a good kid. He would let his team mates fallow him around Gotham. He'd even let them go to his freaking house. Of course, he wouldn't let them in, they had to camp outside while they would keep watch. He couldn't allow them any access to personal information, couldn't let them become friends and most _definitely_ could _not_ reveal his ID. This was going to be stressful.

**[0]**

"Do you have to that?" Dick hissed to Wally who was had opened the door of the car, refusing to let Alfred get out of the car; Wally liked the guy far too much. It was Saturday the next day, Halloween **((I know Halloween is on a Monday this year, bare with me))**. Dick Grayson huffed impatiently and crawled out of the car before turning to the passenger seat window which had been rolled down.

"Don't wait around, Al. I'll be home once the premiere is over." He jabbed a thumb across the street where Aqualad and Superboy were dismounting their motorcycles. "I'll have a ride."

The butler lifted a skeptical eyebrow. The Englishman didn't have a problem with the heroes, but they seemed to be a bit too energetic for his liking. "Of course, Master Dick. Have a good time." He said good bye and departed.

Dick turned back to the gathering team who were _trying _to look professional. They looked like secret agents, wearing suits and sunglasses. But Dick knew better. Beneath the shades were his team mates set on protecting Gotham's golden boy. Said boy could tell they wanted desperately to pinch his cheeks. Especially Megan. She actually had at one point…

Anyways.

Ignoring his trailing party of suits, Dick Grayson strolled down the block before he was greeted by the crowd. Reporters were shoving microphones in his face and camera men were snapping pictures.

"Mister Grayson! What is your opinion on-"

"-And can we get a quote for-"

"You father has left you during the Scarecrow uprising, what are your thoughts-"

"-Actors and the rest of the cast and staff awaited your presence before the show could begi-"

A hand, most likely Aqualad's, landed on Dick's shoulder. The boy smiled politely as he was lead through the crowd, confidently stating "No comment," to the reporters that tried to block his path. Once inside the Opera House, he shrugged the hand off gently. Ignoring the circle his suited team mates created around him, Dick made his way to the booth reserved for Bruce Wayne. Even playboy billionaires went to Broadway shows, ok?

Thankfully, Dick had sat down just in time for the lights in the large theatre to dim and the crowd to go quiet. This way, his friends wouldn't be able to talk to him, especially Wally. Dick took his seat next to the banister and watched calmly as the plush red curtain rose off the stage to reveal the cast waiting for their music cue.

He enjoyed the beginning of the show, but he had nodded off at one point. Wally sat in the seat next to him, completely focused on the show to notice his friend had fallen asleep. Megan was at the front door of the Opera House with Superboy, the two were stationed to prevent any unwanted 'visitors' from entering through the main entrances. Aqualad was stationed in the hallways, and Artemis stood in the shadows of the booth, ready to shoot down any threats in the audience below. It was a well planned formula with all the variables in the correct places and it should have worked…

And of course, it didn't. Trust me, we're getting there.

Artemis had left her station at the door, taking the seat on the other side of Dick. "Wally," she warned. "He's asleep."

The speedster moved his gaze from the stage reluctantly and looked at his sleeping friend. "… and?"

"Shouldn't we wake him?" she asked a bit disgruntled. "I mean, what if the press sees him?"

The red head pursed his lips, bouncing his knee absentmindedly. "Nah, they wouldn't come up here." He turned back to watch the stage. Artemis huffed and slouched back in the chair. She had recognized Dick as a student in her school, one that she had actually talked to once or twice… or, _he_ had talked to _her_. But that's beside the point. She had first been worried the boy would recognize her, point her out and blow her cover, but nothing happened. Instead he just kind of regarded her as another hero charged with the duty of protecting him. Simple enough and no secrets were blown.

The boy looked absolutely _adorable_ in her eyes. There he was, just a tiny thirteen year old boy, small for his age not to mention, and he was slouched in the chair. Even with his eyes closed, Artemis could picture his sparkling blue eyes, so bright and wide with wonder when he first saw Megan shape shift. His head lolled back and to the side to rest on his left shoulder. The black hair he had jelled back so meticulously was slightly ruffled; the gluey jell cracking a bit. Artemis would never be able to look at him the same way at school. The archer could practically hear her heart break from the absolute _cuteness_ that radiated off of him. She was about to reach out and brush a hand across his baby soft cheek when there was a knock on the door to the booth. Someone was shouting in the hallway as well…

Wally snapped out of his trance and was at the door in a blink. Artemis was out of her seat and between Dick's chair and the door in moments as well. The pair locked eyes behind their shades, both serious in the company of the other in what seemed like a long time. Artemis shrank back in the shadows while Wally opened the door slowly.

"Kid Flash! –pant- Is Dick alright?" Kaldur stood in the doorway panting as if he'd run a mile in the desert.

"Wha-" Artemis popped out of the shadows. "Aqualad!" The Atlantian collapsed on his knees, gripping his ribs.

"Is he alright?" was all he would ask.

"Yeah, yeah man. "Wally helped their leader into a chair. "What's going on?"

"Scarecrow's men have infiltrated the Opera House-"

There was screaming coming from the audience below the booth. Artemis ran to the banister and peered over. Shoving people out of the way were two men, hired muscle; one was holding a limp body over his shoulder.

She snapped her head around to where Dick had been napping only a moment ago. "_Shit_," she muttered. Then turned back to where Kal was half passed out with Wally inspecting a wound on his cheek. "They got him!"

**[0]**

He awoke bleary eyed. The warm theatre chair was not there to cradle his body; instead it was a steal one bolted to the floor, metal cuffs holding his wrists and ankles to the piece of furniture. Instead of the dim and warm open Opera House, it was a cold and white painted room. Dick's chair was the only thing occupying small space in the bright room beside himself. Shaking his head to clear away the head ache he felt growing there, he recalled his last memories. He was safe, in the Opera House, and Wally was next to him watching the show. Due to the late night fretting before, Dick had closed his eyes to take a quick nap, confident his team mates would protect him if he closed his eyes for just a moment…

Yet here he was.

Great.

Dick closed his eyes again trying to alleviate a little of the head ache. Other than the pressure in his noggin, nothing else hurt. That was a surprise. Usually when he was kidnapped, his captors didn't bother being careful with him. The head ache wasn't even that bad, if the lights were dimmed a little it would leave completely given the time.

He tested the restraints and huffed. The cuffs didn't budge one bit. He tried jumping in his seat to see if he could walk it to the door across the room from him. But the chair was bolted to the metal tiles below.

With possible escape routes churning in his brain, Dick looked up as the door opened slowly. In stepped Jonathan Crane, slender yet lanky limbs and all. The young man peered over the top of his glasses at Dick while he closed the door gently. It was all too slow for the boy wonder.

"Good day Mr. Grayson, I don't believe we've met before." Oh, that's right. _Robin_ had met the psycho plenty of times, but this was a first for Dick Grayson. He'd play along.

"Um, who'r you?" He asked innocently, cracking his voice on purpose. "H-how did I get here? What's going on-"

"Shh," the doctor crooned and smiled kindly. "I'm here to help you young man." Jonathan walked forward. Where was his Scarecrow sack? Maybe he was hiding it in his back pocket or something. That was a weird thought. "I've heard some things about you." Crane's tone was light hearted and soft, not one of a menacing wack job who tortured for fun.

"W-what things?" Dick asked. He was the golden boy of Gotham, what _hadn't_ he heard? Well, hopefully not everything. "What's happening?" he made his voice a bit more desperate.

"Relax, child," Crane chided leaning down so that he was eye to eye with his captive. "What can you tell me about," his voice softened, "the Flying Grayson's?"

Dick stiffened. Now he was a bit more confused. The guy wanted to talk about his family? That was a little stupid, everybody knew about Bruce Wayne's charity case. "Huh?" sincere confusion edged his voice.

"The past is a nasty thing, my friend." The doctor straightened. Dick noticed the man hadn't taken his hands out from behind his back once during their meeting… "The past is where fear thrives, fueling our sorry states of present day…" his voice trailed off and his gentle smile disappeared. It was replaced by a toothy grin, nowhere near as crazed as the Joker's, but creepy enough. "As a public figure head, you cannot have these fears… I will not permit it."

Dick tried to shrink back in his chair. He knew he had an antidote in his belt if he got hit with the man's fear gas, but how was he supposed to get to if he was shackled to this chair? He'd had a few run ins with Scarecrow's poison before, but he had never had to face the torture alone, there was always someone there to hold him down to keep him from hurting himself. But what did he have to be afraid of now? The last few incidents he had with fear gas were terrible, but he'd thought he'd gotten over his nightmares, gotten closure from his parents death. Or was that terror still there?

"What are y-you talking about?" his voice cracked on its own accord now. The mask of brave and naïve Dick Grayson was lifted, the acting was over with.

"Time to face your fears, Dick." And the mask was put on. And the gas was blown into his face.

At first he felt… groggy? But that stage didn't last very long before every single god damned nerve in his body tingled. And not in a good, tickling way. His spine spasmed and arched off the back of the chair. Dick wasn't sure when the Scarecrow had left, but the drug hit him full force after a minute. A whimper left his lips and the lights in the room went out (when really they stayed on).

Dick was up high on one of the platforms in the big top. The dark was punctuated by spotlights splitting through the air to shine on his parents across the tent. Seeing their living and smiling faces shining across the way made a scream wrench from his throat. But they didn't hear him. Instead, Dick watched, mortified, as his father gripped the bar that was waiting for him. Dick tried to jump to his feet, to stop the nightmare of that day from repeating, but he was stuck. Looking down, he found his wrists and ankles still bound to the metal chair.

Dick looked back up desperately to find his parents already swinging through the air, smiling at him obliviously.

His throat tightened. He had to catch them. Had to catch them this time. He started to tug at the shackles on his wrists, trying to pull up on them to rip the metal away from the chair arms. The little bird shifted restlessly in the chair, sudden adrenaline shaking his limbs and firing through his brain. Looking up again, he saw his parents swing towards him, warm smiles and sparkling smiles…

They slipped from the air.

"_NO!"_ The scream ripped itself from his throat. Dick gave one last painful pull with his arms and his hands slipped through the metal shackles, but not without a few sickening '_pop_''s. He was fast to unclasp his ankles with bloody hands and was down on the ground in mere seconds.

But he was too late. Just like in all of his dreams. His parents had already hit the ground. Dick ran and slid across the floor to their bodies, desperate for this time to be different, praying that this time they hadn't died.

Hands were suddenly pulling him away from his parent's bodies. Their mangled corpses' lay limp with a pool of blood expanding beneath them. People were calling to him, holding him, cradling him. But he fought them off like a rabid animal. He got away from the hands holding him and ran back to his parent's sides', this time able to touch them.

It was like he was eight one more time. His stomach churned painfully, bile rising in his throat at the sight of so much blood, so much death. He knelt down between broken bones and bloody puddles, wanting so desperately to touch them. He could have, but his body wouldn't let him, just like it had on that day. His brain was going into shock, unable to deal with a sight that it should have never seen.

But he pushed through the painful sobs and reached a hand out to his mother's blonde hair, now dirtied with blood and… Another choked cry echoed painfully in his brain. Grey matter splashed disgustingly across her beautiful features, blood dripping from-

"Dick!" the arms were back, pulling him into a tight embrace, restraining his flailing arms. The nightmare he was in seemed to start cracking. Actual lines in appeared in the tent above as if it were being ripped open to reveal a bright white room.

For some reason, he didn't want to return. He wanted to stay with his parents whether they were dead or alive. Flawless, or lying broken and mangled on the floor of the big top.

But the arms around him seemed to drag him through the rips of his brain, pulling him back into the small bright room. He clutched desperately to the body holding him, burying his face in the chest and tugging fiercely at the shirt there. After his entire dream fell away, he pushed the warm body away. Tears blinded his eyes while he clutched at his stomach, dry heaving for a moment before he was sick on the floor.

It didn't stop there.

The picture of his parent's silent fall, their eyes as they tried desperately to tell him everything he meant to them as they fell, made Dick cry harder. It was a pretty cry either. The sobs and wails all but ripped from his throat. There was nothing he could do for the endless bout of tears falling from his eyes and running snot from his nose.

He knelt on the floor sobbing and clutching at his ducked head and ripping at his hair. Another image flashed behind his eyes, this one depicting his mother's beautiful face, eyes blank and mouth open in a silent scream. The image gained color and texture… and there was the grey matter again, splashed on the ground underneath her delicate skull. But the image only grew stronger and stronger until it filled his vision, threatening to drag him back down into his frightmare.

Desperate to rid himself of the images that plagued his mind, Dick gripped his hair hard with bloody hands and threw his head to the left successfully connecting his skull with the wall.

The arms were there again, pulling him away from the wall. Dick scrabbled against the bodies around him, desperate to knock his head into something again. If he could just black himself out…

"Dick!" Someone was screaming. "Dick! It's me, Wally!" The hands were shaking him. "Dick! It's not real! I promise-"

A scream wrenched itself from the young boy's throat. Now it was his friends that were falling. He could see Wally falling. It was _Wally's_ body on the floor. _Wally's brain smashed on the ground-_

He cried and he cried _hard._ And his team cried too, wrapping protective arms around him where he clutched the speedster with broken hands.

"Please Dick," Wally whispered in his friend's ear. "I promise your ok."

**A/N:**_ I just couldn't continue. Poor Dickie bird. _

_I got a couple requests asking for the team to interact with Dick Grayson and somebody wanted another torture scene I think. Who am I to protest when someone requests? I'm kind of proud that I was able to make this story _that_ dark, but also am a little hesitant to do so. Please critique so I can improve?_

_**I TAKE REQUESTS!**_

_I love y'all so so much. Can you believe there are TWENTY NINE REVIEWS? Holy Batman, that's A LOT! THAT'S ALMOST _THIRTY!

_Anywho, have a freaking awesome day,_

_Moe._


	12. Of Fear Gas Part Two

**Characters: **_Dick Grayson, Robin, Bruce Wayne, Wally, the team._

**Warnings: **_Blood, angst, sobbing and screaming, throwing up…_

**Summary: **_"Leave a dream where the fallout lies…"_

_**Of Fear Gas Part Two.**__"__Never mattered 'bout the shape I'm in. I'll keep you safe tonight."__  
><em>He woke up shaking. At first, his eyelids didn't want to respond as if they were glued shut. Bringing up a trembling hand he rubbed away at the crust on his lashes. His hand hurt, that was weird. Finally opening his blue eyes, he held the shaking hand in front of him. It was wrapped and bandaged tightly, but despite the cloth, blood spotted the white gauze. Upon further investigation, he found his other hand was wrapped as well.

His shades were gone. That meant he was still Dick Grayson. Looking around the room he found he was in the medical bay back in the mountain.

The head ache hit him like a speeding train flying off its assigned tracks. Dick flopped back on the hospital bed and clutched at his skull, finding it was wrapped as well. A muffled whine left his lips and he shut his eyes to the room around him. He was shaking profusely now, his joints aching and limbs trembling. Dick rolled onto his side and curled into a tight ball clutching at his head the entire time.

Something flashed behind his eyes, an image. But it was gone quickly only to be replaced by others. A ringing started up in his ears and Dick took in a deep breath through his sore throat. What was happening?

"Dick?" Someone called out across the room. There were fast foot steps before arms enveloped him, pulling him tight to someone's chest. Another whine slipped out of his throat as he was embraced and his head was cradled. "It's ok, shh." The voice vibrated through the broad body holding him, almost soothing his trembling state.

Almost.

The images in his mind hadn't stopped flashing. One in particular grew and blocked his vision... It was dark but not pitch. The air was lit by spotlights, but they weren't focusing on the right scene in the big top. Dick was instead looking down at a group of mangled bodies-

_Oh no. No, nonono-_

"_NU!"_ Dick pushed off the body and scrambled to the other side of the bed successfully falling off the other end onto the hard tiled floor. He caught himself painfully on broken hands but the bird didn't pay attention. Instead, he tried to crawl away from the arms that were trying to catch him and hold him back. Looking up he saw Bruce's face. Not Batman's, but Bruce's.

"Dickie, you're alright! Shh, no one's going to hurt you," he crooned. It was a side of the man Dick didn't see very often, a gentle one where Bruce's voice was soothing and relaxed. But this time it had an edge of pleading with it. Dick ignored the comforting hands of his mentor, instead opting to scramble away from the bat.

"Nu! Sint bine?" he begged desperately. His voice would have been hard enough to decipher being torn and raw as it was, but he was speaking in Romanian as well. "Va rog, Bruce! Am sa-l ajute!" Now the bird was crying. But Dick didn't register the tears scorching his cheeks.

Another image flashed behind his eyes, this one of red. Blood covered everything, marring his friend's faces and pooling on the ground beneath them. A scream ripped through his already tortured throat and Dick pushed harder when Bruce tried to hold him still. Dick jabbed his elbow back into his mentor's ribs connecting successfully.

"Unde sint? Unde sunt prietenii mei?" He asked desperately. Voices were in the hallway now, footsteps nearing the door. "Dati jos!" he screamed roughly. The bird gave one final push, but Bruce only pulled him back to the floor before he could get anywhere.

"Dick! Stop!" he wrestled his son to the ground trying to pin his flailing limbs. The screaming boy wouldn't listen though. He struggled against Bruce, pleading with him in his native tongue to let him find his friends.

"Wha- Hey!" someone shouted in the doorway. "Get off of him!"

"You idiots! I'm helping!" Bruce yelled at the people that were trying to drag him away.

Dick struggled beneath the pile of people, now scared that his father would be taken away as well as-

_He reached out a hand to the dead face. Without realizing it, his fingers touched a spot of blood. Lurching back from the contact with the sticky warm liquid, Dick flicked his hand trying to rid himself of the nasty red-_

Dick rolled over and away from Bruce and the people struggling with him. He had barely cleared the mass of bodies before he found himself on his hands and knees, retching on the tiled floor. A fresh batch of tears pooled in his eyes and fell down his pink cheeks. There must have been some crazed man hitting him in the head with a hammer because that was _only_ explanation for his head ache. It literally felt like he had smacked his head off the floor a couple times until he had blacked out,

There was an idea.

The images wouldn't cease, wouldn't let him relax. Dick forced his body away from the spot he had just been sick on. He gripped his bandaged head and threw his skull to the floor.

"Dick!" someone shouted, a female. "Not again!" Arms were around him pulling him up so he couldn't hurt himself again.

"Nu! Va rog! Pur si simplu le face sa plece!" he screamed at the person holding him. Dick tried to push them away some more, but more arms and hands dragged him back to the bed.

"Mister Wayne, you need to leave!" someone was shouting. Someone was also shouting back, arguing.

"No! He's my _son_ you incompetent _clone_!" he yelled.

The person Bruce was fighting with seemed to growl. Dick heard them say, "We have this under control-"

"Obviously _not_!" Bruce was pushed out the door anyways only to push right back through.

"Bruce!" Dick screamed from where he was now being pinned to the bed. "Va rog nu ma lasa singur!" The bird pushed the people around him away. He leapt off the bed and past the large figure in the doorway. He tackled Bruce to the ground and clutched to his mentor's shirt, sobbing all the while. His wailing only gained volume when the hands returned to take him away.

"Dick! Dick please stop!" someone was pleading with him. He was set back on the bed-

_Wally lay smashed on the concrete, still and bleeding. His eyes were focused on something far away as if he were counting clouds in the sky. "Wally!" Dick screamed, kneeling beside his best friend. "Wally! Please!" he gripped the broken shoulders. "Wake up! Stop kidding around!" The bird shook the shoulders so violently that the red head's skull rolled back on its broken neck. A wail ripped-_

from his throat. He grabbed hold of the speedster in front of him. "Wally! It's not funny anymore! Stop lying!" Dick clutched at the speedsters shoulders and shook him like a rag doll. "Wake up!" he screamed.

"Dick!" Wally gasped out; trying to pry his friend's broken hands off of him. "Y-your hu-urting me!" he shouted between violent shakes.

Dick pushed his friend away roughly, sending the speedster to the floor where he landed on his butt. The bird didn't even try to hug himself, hide himself from the cruel world he was forced into. He sat there, head thrown back while he wailed at the ceiling. His body shook and his spine arched painfully while he twisted back and forth as is fighting off invisible daemons.

No one dared approach after that. Dick's team mates were now thoroughly frightened, not to mention confused. How could the little boy in front of them fight with so much power? And even more, how did he know Wally? Said speedster was helped to his feet. The door had long been closed on Bruce Wayne, banishing the billionaire from his son. The man could still be heard shouting on the hallway, banging on the door with powerful fists. Superboy leaned against the shaking wall, keeping the man out.

"W-what do we _do!_" Artemis screamed. Everyone looked desperately at Wally who seemed to be the only one who knew what was happening. The read head rubbed at his sore bottom before snapping out of his trance.

Wally was silent for a moment, watching his friend writhe on the hospital bed with a broken hearted face. He snapped around to look at Conner who was holding the door shut. "What the hell are you _doing!" _he yelled at the clone. "Let him in!" The clone looked ready to protest, obviously against the idea of letting in the brash playboy. "Conner, he's _Bruce_ freaking _Wayne_," Wally growled. "If anyone can help Dick, it's his _dad_! Now let the guy in!"

The clone stepped away from the door, shock lining his face at the idea of _Wally_ yelling at him. _Screaming_ at him.

Bruce smashed through the door. The team watched in shock as he came barreling into the room, an angry rage directed at the clone that had refused his entrance.

**[0]**

When the frightmares were over and done with, it was like awaking from hibernation. Dick's limbs protested his movement for a while, they were tired and abused. His throat was completely botched from the screaming, crying and throwing up he'd done in the last 24 hours. He'd woken up around midnight the next day with Bruce asleep in the chair next to him, large hand hold his broken one. Wally seemed to have passed out on the other side, a bit of drool slipping down his chin. There were a couple scratches on his neck and chin as well, probably from where Dick had clutched onto his friend... The team came and went occasionally, none really speaking to him except to ask how he was feeling. They seemed a bit frightened of him.

The next day, he returned to the team as Robin, bandages hiding behind his gloves and scratchy voice excused as a cold. The team welcomed him back excitedly, spilling the news of their 'adventure' quickly. Robin couldn't help but flinch at the descriptions.

Wally was silent. He fallowed his friend around the mountain wherever he went. Robin didn't protest. The speedster seemed worried, shaken. He hugged his friend gently instead of wrestling for the remote when they sat to watch TV. He got Rob a snack when his tummy rumbled and he fetched ice for his hands when the rest of their team mates were absent.

Sometimes (all the time), it was nice to have a friend on the inside of the team, someone to watch your back.

_Hopefully Wally won't have to watch my back again,_ Dick couldn't help but think. Robin agreed with him.

**A/N:** _I got several requests to finish this. I wasn't sure where to go with the story, but I hope I did well. I threw Wally in there for you guys. Anywho. There's a young boy on the farm here who agreed to be Robin for Halloween (I had already bought the freaking costume for my little sister) and I could not love the kid any more right now. He's got red hair, but whatever. I hope all those who have power outages on the east coast (due to snow) are doing well!_

_**I TAKE REQUESTS.**_

_You lot are amazing! I count forty reviews for this story, HUZA! I might start working on _Electric_ again, so I might not update every single day now that my concussion from a week or two ago has cleared up. I must warn you, if the grammar and spelling sucks on these stories, it's because I've been turning one out every day and don't have much time to spell check and edit._

_I love you lot from the bottom of my farm boy heart,_

_Moe._


	13. Of Rich and Poor

**Character: **_Dick Grayson, Wally, Alfred, Bruce Wayne._

**Warnings: **_The tiniest mention of Wally's asshole father, but really nothing._

**Summary: **_Wally's first visit._

_**Of the Rich and Poor. **__Don't laugh._

"You ready?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah."

"Wally, are you even paying attention?"

"Yes! I was just looking at that car over there. You know the one next to the other four? The _really_ shiny ones?"

"Yes, Kid." Dick huffed. "I see them almost every day."

Wally turned from the car he was inspecting in the large driveway and skipped over to his best friend. "Uh, Rob?" He asked hesitantly as they neared the front door. "He's not gonna, you know, hate me, right?"

"Wally, you're over reacting." Dick didn't even have to knock on the wood, the door was opened and an old Englishman stood on the thresh hold.

"Good afternoon master Dick, master Wallace," he stated calmly.

"Hey Al, how are ya'?" Dick asked while he entered, handing the butler his winter coat.

"I am well, thank you sir. And yourself?" Alfred held out his hand towards Wally who still stood in the snow outside, jaw slack.

"We're fine." The bird turned to his friend and smiled gently. "He doesn't bite Wals; get in here before you freeze to death." Wally stepped through the doorway on autopilot. He shrugged off his coat and handed it to the smiling butler who took it patiently. "C'mon Wally!" As soon as his friend was free of his boots and winter coverings, Dick grabbed his hand and dragged him down a hallway to the left. The red head was still getting over the fact that his friend had a butler. A _butler_.

Dick chatted him up while he pulled the speedster through the manor. The halls and ceilings were wide and tall, actual _suits_ _of freaking armor_ sat in a few corners when Wally peeked into some rooms when they passed. Grand fire places roared in almost every room adding a warm glow to complement the heat they provided in the cold winter air. Christmas decorations hung in every main hall and room, Christmas trees in practically every corner. The money required to simply _buy_ each tree, well, Wally couldn't imagine it. It still hurt his head enough to think there was a _butler_ in the mansion. The red head knew Dick was rich, but when his friend had said his dad was Bruce Wayne, Wally didn't register it was _that _Bruce Wayne_._ And he sure as heck hadn't registered that that meant Dick lived in a _mansion_, with a _butler_, a _dog_ and even a _two story Christmas tree_ in a _ball room_.

To shorten that paragraph, Wally hadn't realized just who his best friend was. Even if he _knew_.

Dick finally pulled Wally into a small, modest kitchen with real marble counter tops and top of the line appliances. Somehow Alfred had beaten them to the room, already placing two mugs of steaming hot chocolate on the marble island, whipped cream practically pillowed over the sides of their containers, silvery spoons sticking out from under the sugary sweetness. Wally looked wide eyed at the treat. Aunt Iris almost _never_ made hot chocolate for either speedster's that lived with her. Not because of the sugar, Wally got into caffeinated soda plenty of times. It was because they would never take the time to enjoy the treat or wait for their drinks to cool before chugging them. Barry had learned not to do so, but it took Wally some time. Ouch.

Dick was already spooning a bit of cream off the top of his drink, licking his utensil clean while he struck up a conversation with Alfred. Wally looked between the two before gazing back at his steaming mug. He copied his friend's gesture, trying his hardest to take his time on the drink. He devoted all his concentration to simply not gulp it down that he hadn't noticed the large tray of _snacks _that was set in front of him. In front of _him_ and not Dick. His friend and Alfred had become quiet while they watched the red head with amusement. Wally was still concentrated on his drink and was half way done before he noticed the silence.

"Wally, there's food," Dick said while he nudged his silent friend. "_Food_," he cooed teasingly. Wally snapped out of his trance with the hot chocolate and whipped his head up to look at the tray before him. Dick covered a giggle with his hand when he saw the foamy white mustache the red head bore on his upper lip.

Wally waited about two seconds before abandoning his drink and diving into the food. It was a simple snack, but to a speedster it was his life line. Dick smiled and caught the hot chocolate mug that slipped off the table in his friend's flurry of movement. He set the drink on the marble gently, this time outside of the red head's range of motion. Eventually, Wally lost the tension in his shoulders as he snacked. He started an almost hesitant conversation with the butler whom he began to call 'Al'.

The casual conversations didn't last long though, Wally was becoming fidgety. Dick laughed and took his friends hand, leading him out of the kitchen.

They raced through the manor. Dick bet Wally his favorite baterang (for a souvenir) that the speedster wouldn't be able to find the bird's room. First, the red head raced through the bottom floor, getting lost more than once. Then he sprinted up a staircase to find his friend waiting for him at the top.

"What's taking you so long?" He teased and ran off down a hallway.

"C'mon Boy Blunder! I just need a few more minutes!" Wally took off after his retreating friend.

There were so many rooms and halls, staircases and passage ways. Wally was sure he had back tracked at least three times and had ended up going in circles. All the while Dick was cackling, his laugh echoed off the halls while Wally tried to chase him and pin point his friend's coordinates.

The speedster neared the end of an obnoxiously long hall, rounded the corner and sprinted full speed down another-

-and right into Bruce Wayne. _Bruce_ freaking _Wayne_.

The red head slammed into the solid body and bounced back as if he'd hit a wall. He landed on the wood floor, his tailbone smashing on the hard surface. He looked dazedly at his feet while he made sure his body hadn't been flattened and crushed. After the moment passed, he raised his head to look at the man towering over him, jaw slightly slacked and eyes wide.

"Huh…" he said dumbly. Bruce was not glaring down at him, was not threatening to pull him from young Justice and wasn't even pulling out a baterang to explode in his face. Bruce looked a little stunned at first, obviously not expecting to be run into by a lanky red head moving at 80 miles and hour. But the look soon lifted from his face and a gentle and an almost warm smirk settled on the man's lips. The billionaires blue eyes were piercing though, even if the face that held them was relaxed.

"Wallace West, I'd prefer it if you ran at a normal pace in my household if you must," Bruce said kindly, an edge of amusement in his voice. Wally was absolutely shocked. He started choking on his tongue actually and had to cough a couple times to clear his tightening throat. He stared up at Bruce, not moving from his spot on the wood floor. The man sighed and held out a hand. "C'mon, I'm not going to yell at you."

The red head took the hand _very_ hesitantly, almost pulling away at the last second. But Bruce hauled him to his feet and the speedster began brushing off his worn jeans to stall time. "Uh, j-just call me Wally, sir. My _father _called me Wallace…" he mumbled and then scowled at himself for bringing up his _father_ of all people! Bruce Wayne didn't have time to care about Wally's past family problems-

Bruce actually looked taken aback with himself, almost like he was mentally face palming. "Oh, uh. Sorry about that, Kid. I didn't mean to-"

"Wally!" a voice called down the hallway to the red heads sweet relief. He peeked around one of the billionaire's broad shoulders and spotted his friend sprinting down the hall at top speed, a grin plastered on his face. "Hey Bruce! When did you get home?" Dick slid in his winter socks across the smooth floor and took a flying leap before landing on his mentor's back. "You didn't scare Wally, did you?" He scolded while using one of Bruce's shoulders to vault over the man and land next to his friend. The tall body hadn't even flinched or moved during the process, obviously used to being the acrobat's makeshift jungle gym.

Bruce's smirk never disappeared. "_He _was the one to find _me_," he said. Dick cackled as if they shared some inside joke. Wally's gaze flicked confusedly from his friend to the boy's surrogate father and back again, desperately trying to find what was so funny about the situation.

"Relax Wally," Dick chided and took hold of his friend's wrist, pulling him down the hallway. "We'll see you for dinner!" he called back to Bruce who nodded and took off in the other direction.

Dick's room was about the size of Uncle Barry's living room and kitchen _combined_ plus a little space for the walk in closet and then add on a master bathroom and you had an idea of the sheer amount of space there was. And it was all clean unlike Wally's. There was a _TV,_ a _laptop_, a huge _king sized bed_ with a comforter and sheets that had a thread count past the trillions. About six pillows sat at the head of the bed for decoration while the two that Dick actually slept on were hidden beneath. Wally peeked into the bathroom quickly to find it made of almost _completely_ marble. He raced to the other side of the room to inspect his friend's closet while Dick waited patiently at the end of his bed. This was the very first time the bird had ever had a real friend over.

When the red head had finished his exploration, he plopped down on the bed next to his friend.

"Rob?" he asked, gaining his friends attention (as if he didn't already _own_ the bird's attention).

"Hm?"

"You don't…" Wally flopped back on the plush comforter. "You don't mind being friends with me?" He asked.

Dick froze. What the heck was Wally talking about? The speedster was looking almost forlornly at the ceiling. "What the heck do you mean? You're my best bud in the world!" Dick flopped down next to him.

Wally rolled onto his side and looked Dick in the eyes. "I mean, Dick, that you're the son of a billionaire." Dick lifted a confused eyebrow. "… And I'm just a practically homeless kid taken in by his Uncle." Dick kept the eyebrow raised. "Whose room could fit in your closet." The eyebrow didn't move. "Dick!" Wally snapped his friend out of it.

"What, KF? I don't get what you're saying!"

"Dude! Rich kids don't hang out with kids like me!"

"What does _that_ mean? You don't want to be my friend because I've got…" realization dawned on the bird. "Wally, I lived in a circus until I was eight," he stated blandly. "If anybody here knows what it's like to struggle for money, it's _me. _I've had foodless nights before where you've always had something to eat. Just because the amount of money we have differs doesn't mean I think of you any less."

The red head blinked a few times. "But Bruce-"

"But Bruce nothing!" Dick laughed and launched himself at his friend, wrestling with him until the speedster was pinned to the mattress. "He doesn't care about it either! I can't _tell_ you how many times I've walked in on Alfred reassuring your Uncle that he's always welcome."

"_Barry's been here?"_

"Yupp, he and Bruce are like best bros. A Bat and a Flash." Dick rolled off his friend. "You and me? Were the same, a _Bird_ and a Flash though." Wally stared at the ceiling for a while.

**[0]**

"So Wally, Dick told me your relatives will be in Central for the Christmas-"

Bruce had been making conversations with the red head and _every single time the guy looked his way or even spoke…_ Wally was sure he'd pee his pants. One reason was because it was Gotham's Dark Knight sitting across the table from the two teens. That thought was enough to make Wally's throat close. But the other reason was not as serious or frightening.

Every time Bruce spoke, Wally wanted nothing more than to laugh because _damn_ Bruce Wayne was a nice guy. _Nothing_ like the cold Batman that deployed missions for Young Justice. Bruce's voice was kind and proper, never mumbling or slurring or speaking with his mouth full. It was nice that the guy didn't yell at him or growl, but _seriously?_ Wally expected the man to snap at him at least _once_.

Well, maybe this nice playboy persona was a nice change for once. It would take time to get used to, but Wally was sure he would be over plenty other times to let this, uh, _Bruce Wayne_ grow on him.

**A/N:** _I decided I'd try my hand at some Bruce Wayne. I absolutely love when people write about the difference between Bats and Bruce. People have been asking about Dick and Wally. I know this wasn't as fluffy/slashy/detailed as some would have liked but it was a last minute post if you haven't guessed. Thank you everybody for the reviews, there's so MANY! If I get requests for them I will consider actually writing about couples._

_**Request me, I promise I'm working my way through them!**_

_Moe._

_Have an awesome day._


	14. Of Scared Guys and Itchy Hives

**Characters: **_Robin, the team._

**Warnings: **_Swearing, Dickie bird getting sick._

**Summary:**_ No! Anything but the peanuts!_

_**Of Scared Guys and Itchy Hives. **_

"Megan! These are absolutely _perfect_!" Wally cheered and zipped through the kitchen to snag another cookie.

"Robin!" Artemis called from where she sat at the kitchen island. "Come get one before Wally devours them all!" The speedster sent a nasty look her way before taking another treat. Conner almost shoved the red head aside before taking a cookie for himself. Artemis batted a disgruntled Wally away as well and took one of the peanut butter cookies.

"Oh, c'mon!" Wally grunted from where he had been shunned. "I want one!"

"You've already had, like, seven, Kid!" A cackle echoed through the living area before Robin bounded into the room and snatched a cookie off the sheet. Wally tried to dive at him to snag the treat, but the bird had already swallowed it along with a second. The speedster harrumphed and returned to his brooding. "Yo! Missy!" Robin called into the living room causing the mentioned green girl to turn. "These are great! Congrats!"

Megan grinned at the compliment. "Thank you, Robin!" she called back. The bird nodded and grabbed another. He left the kitchen nibbling on the still warm cookie before vaulting over the couch and landing next to his friend without a bounce in the springs.

"Seriously," he grinned. "How did you _make _these things?" He chewed and swallowed the last crumbs and leaned back. The treat was a welcome one, he almost never allowed himself to indulge in fattening foods, but Megan had worked so hard to get these just right. The dough and sugar coating dissolved heavenly and made the bird's mouth water for more…

But his stomach rumbled, pinching at the bottom of his esophagus a little. "Huh?" he said surprised, care free spirit broken. "That's-" his stomach gave another angry growl. "-weird…" He looked up at the worried green girl before him, concern obvious in her features.

"Rob! Stop farting in there!" Wally called from the kitchen.

"Shut your trap, KF!" Robin taunted back. "It's my stomach not my butt!" Megan blushed at their language.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked while her bird resettled next to her.

"Yeah," he reassured smiling. "Don't worry about it. I'm probably just hungry."

By the time the rest of the team had joined them in the living room to pick out a movie, Robin was shifting uncomfortably on the sofa, stomach never relenting its angry speech.

"Dude, could you shut that thing up?" Wally asked sarcastically, but his voice was edged in concern. "You're not gonna throw up or something, right?"

Robin stuck his tongue out at his friend. He had reclined the best he could while his lower throat began to burn. Something was definitely wrong. The bird could tell that the space under his tongue was swelling, but for what reason he was not sure. The growling of his stomach had not ceased.

"Robin, are you sure you're alright?" Kaldur asked cautiously now. "Should we skip the movie?"

"Jeez you guys!" Robin launched to his feet, annoyed that his team mates wouldn't stop complaining. "I'll leave then if it's bugging you."

"We didn't mean-" his leader began, but Robin was already down the hall clutching his angry stomach.

Halfway to his room, the bird's jeans began to scratch uncomfortably on his hips. Lifting up the edge of his sweatshirt, Robin glanced down at the itching skin.

"Shit," he mumbled. He turned tail and sprinted back to the living room where his team still sat, a bit miffed by his hasty retreat before.

"Meg!" he called when he entered. "What were in those-" Before he could finish he doubled over and heaved, getting sick on the carpet. A couple people shrieked… including Wally. Conner rolled his eyes at the freaked speedster and was at the bird's side in a moment, pulling him into the kitchen so he could get sick in the sink. Humiliated, Robin couldn't do much more than heave with his back turned to his gathering team mates. The itching, burning sensation on his sides never left. Instead, it grew and traveled to reach under his arms and around his throat. He wanted desperately to drag his nails on the angry skin, but he was a bit occupied.

Someone, most likely Kal, had wiped his hair from his face and pulled his sunglasses off so they wouldn't tumble into the dirty sink. Robin wanted to thank him, but instead choked again. After a minute, the heaving died down a little once his stomach emptied but the irritation in his skin wouldn't leave. Desperate to relieve the burning, Robin quickly stripped off his sweatshirt and itched frantically at the angry hives that had gathered.

"Megan!" he choked, already feeling the nausea drag him to the sink again. "W-what were in the cookies-" He heaved into the sink.

He could feel Megan's confusion from across the room. Without looking, he knew at least a few of his team mates were flinching while he was sick again. Thankfully, Kaldur was there to keep a strong hand on his back and the hair from his eyes. "Meg-" he choked desperately.

"Eggs!" she supplied frantically from where she shook in the doorway, Artemis holding her from running away in a scared frenzy. "Sugar! Peanut butter-"

"Wally!" Robin called between his pained gasps at the sink. "G-get my utility belt f-from the living room!"

"What? Why-"

"_Just do it!_" Artemis and Conner yelled at the same time.

There was minute where Robin thought he would be all better, that the heaving would stop and the damned _itching_ would die down… But just his luck, the burning on his skin became furiously painful. The bird stepped away from the sink and all but ripped his shirt over his head and scratched furiously at his angry, swollen skin. His throat seemed to be closing even though his stomach wanted to push more bile past it. His tongue felt heavy and dead in his mouth.

Wally was back and cringing at his side while his bird leaned tiredly and painfully over the lip of the kitchen sink. "W-what do I do Rob?" he asked desperately, holding out the yellow belt hesitantly.

"Third pouch on the right from the clasp," the ebony was able to choke.

"_What?_" the speedster hissed. "I'll get _zapped_!"

"_Just do it!"_ Robin yelled at him before he was sick in the sink again. Thankfully, Wally found the pouch on the first try without hurting himself.

"B-but Rob, this is a-"

"Just jab in my leg, dude," Robin almost pleaded, body tired and still itching like mad. How he'd passed the words through his swollen throat he had no idea.

"Ew, that's just-"

"_Wally_!" several team mates yelled at him.

"Ok, ok!" he threw up his hands and swallowed before kneeling down a little. "Uh, sorry Rob-"

"Wally, if you don't-" the bird heaved into the sink, skin red but flushed around his sweaty neck an face. "-I will _break your legs-_ Shit!" he hissed, but sighed immediately after he realized what had happened. Glancing down at his friend, he found a green faced Wally looking wide eyed at the epi pen he had just stabbed into his friend's leg through his shorts.

**A/N:**_ Yes, Robin is allergic to peanuts. If you disagree or criticize my information, well, I DON'T GIVE A F-_

_Flying Grayson. Oh god, that was just mean… I'm a horrible person for making that joke… Anywho. One of my brothers, Calvin, is allergic to peanuts and has this sort of reaction. Someone accidently screwed up his order when we went out for ice cream the other night in town and the poor guy ended up barfing in the public restroom with his incompetent brothers to help him. Mark was too chicken to epi him so I had to do it. All in all, Calvin survived to live another day. Mark on the other hand looked ready to barf in the next stall over… psh, wuss._

_Thank you wonderful people for reading, you warm my heart!_

_Moe._


	15. Of Healthy Rules

**Characters: **_Robin, Artemis, the team._

**Warnings:**_ A little itty bit of swearing._

**Summary: **_Three rules to migraines._

_**Of Healthy Rules. **__Dedicated to Dr. Gupta (my freaking awesome neurologist)._

Artemis groaned from where she sat at the kitchen island. She was slumped forward with her forehead resting on the cool countertop. The groan she had just made sounded something along the lines of… "Mnnehhh!" But sadly, the noise did nothing to help her situation.

"Artemis, what are you-"

"MNNN!" she interrupted the clone impatiently while waving a hand in his general direction to silence him. Conner raised an eyebrow but quieted himself. Instead, he got his glass of water and exited the area. The archer stayed in her seat while people moved around her, cautious of disturbing her.

"Hey! Are we going to the movies or not?" Wally called as he zipped into the kitchen. Megan's eyes widened in surprise and then in horror as Artemis raised her head off the counter. The scowl on her face could only be compared to that of Roy's, instantly freezing the speedster in his tracks.

"Wallace, shut. Up." The growl echoed off the counters. Message delivered, the blonde's head made contact with the counter again. Wally narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to make a snappy retort but was silenced by a quick glance at the passing Kaldur. He raised an eyebrow.

The Atlantean sighed and reluctantly shuffled the red head from the kitchen and into the hall. "She has a migraine," he supplied before entering the living room.

"… _and?_" Wally said to no one. He pouted and fallowed his leader. "So… _are _we going to the movies tonight?"

Kal looked over his shoulder at his team mate, and incredulous look lining his face. "Maybe. Artemis will most definitely not be going though."

"Why is she even _in_ the kitchen if she has a head ache-"

"Migraine-"

"-Whatever." Wally sighed. "Shouldn't she be, I don't know, taking meds at least?"

"Neither Megan or I can use human medicine; it wouldn't be compatible with our systems. Because of this, we don't know where any of it is." Kal peeked into the kitchen again. Megan was setting a plate of crackers next to her friend trying to convince the blonde to eat. "Do you know where it is? She's been asking for Tylenol I believe."

Wally held back a laugh. "Dude, I don't _need_ meds. Plus, if I took any, they'd be through my system in minutes." The speedster's eyes widened for a moment. "That reminds me, gotta pee!" he shouted and was off down the hallway. An annoyed groan came from the kitchen in response.

"_Recognize Robin: B-Zero-One,_" the mainframe announced over the speaker.

"Shut the fuck up you stupid mountain!" Artemis said, face still flat on the counter. It was a few minutes before the bird showed up (he had probably been ambushed by Wally in the hallway) and entered the kitchen.

"Hey every-"

"Can't you people take a damn hint?"

"Nice to see you too Arty." The ebony strolled across the tiled floor, almost completely disregarding the other occupants of the mountain. Even in his civvies, he was always on a mission. An almost determined frown began to set on the birds' face, concern evident in his scrunched eyebrows. "What's going on?" he asked Kal as he passed.

"Migraine," he supplied. Artemis gave another noise of irritation.

"Then why are you in here?" Robin asked the archer. Without waiting for a response, her took her by the elbow and pulled her to her feet. "C'mon," he cooed even though the blonde tried to resist. The archers face was pale and pain was obvious in her features. Though she tried pulling away to sit back down, Robin just pulled harder. His strength surprised Artemis and she was led into the living room. "How long?" he asked before pushing her to sit on the sofa.

"An hour," she almost whined. But the bird didn't seem deterred by her tone, in fact, he almost looked contemplative.

"Alright, lay down and I'll be back in a second." As he said, the ebony disappeared. On his way out, he flicked off the lights and the TV that was playing a live news feed. With a stubborn huff, Artemis sat lay back after propping the pillows. Immediately she shut her eyes tight. Even though the lights in the room were off, a burning still presented itself in the back of her eyeballs.

As promised, Robin reappeared and sat on the coffee table in front of the couch near the blonde's head. A cool and damp towel was placed over her closed eyes and a sigh slipped past dry lips. "You don't have to," she mumbled, but in all truth she needed him to. The ebony might have been several years younger, but he was the only other full human on the team. The only one that she could relate to fully. Robin didn't respond. Instead he placed a blanket on her sock covered feet and placed a large cool glass of water in her right hand.

"Drink," he ordered. Artemis responded with a stubborn grunt and thrust the glass back in the bird's direction. "You have to," he told her, holding the water as well this time and guiding it where he wanted it. "Your blood vessels are constricting because you don't have enough fluids and if you don't drink, it will only make things worse."

"What about Tylenol?" Artemis whined. Something about keeping up with her fluids at the moment felt like a chore. "Why can't you just find me some meds?" she asked.  
>"Because," now it was Robin's turn to be stubborn. He forced the glass to Artemis' lips, careful not to slosh the water. Thankfully, she didn't protest and the liquid didn't go everywhere when he tilted the glass for her. "You're too far into the migraine. If I gave you anything now, it wouldn't take any effect. Rule number two for migraines, if you're going to take something at all, take it at the first sign."<p>

"What's number one?" the archer asked when Robin took the glass away.

"Water, water, water."

"What about three?" She laughed, even if it kind of hurt.

"Sleep on time and eat on time. Eat at least four meals a day."

"Four meals?"

"Mhmm, you need food to operate. It doesn't have to be four _specifically_, just have snacks or something." They were silent for a moment while Robin fiddled with the blanket. He pulled it up to Artemis' chin and tucked it in around the edges of her legs. With the cool cloth over her eyes, the archer would never know of the grin spread on the ebony's face. His teeth bit into his bottom lip in an attempt not to laugh at how utterly adorable his usually stoic team mate looked snuggled under the blanket. Maybe it was his nature, but he loved taking care of people. It gave the bird something to do and someone to talk to, to think about. Poor Artemis just happened to be his victim.

"Rob?" The archer croaked. "What now?"

"Huh?"

"Like, I have water, it's dark and everyone's being quiet…" She shrugged. "Do I just lay here?"  
>"Yupp."<p>

"And do what?"

"Rest," he offered. "There's no way you're going to the movies tonight so you can just chill, take a well earned nap."

The blonde pouted. "I'm not a little kid you know."

"Ha! I know," He let slip a chuckle. "But everybody needs to rest once in a while. If you sleep, the pain will pass a _lot_ faster, I guarantee."

They were quiet. Robin watched the clock next to the TV as a good five minutes passed. Artemis' breathing evened out and the tensed muscles in her face relaxed. Just before she began to snore softly, the archer opened her mouth to speak.

"Rob, could you-"

"I'm staying here," he reassured from where he was perched on the coffee table. "We can go to the movies another time."

**A/N: **_Ack! I know I haven't posted any as frequently as we would like, but here's one to last you!_

_GAYDAR ALERT! Today, during my French class, one of my friends (Adam) was having his first ever migraine! I'm so proud! Anywho… In that class he sits next to our other friend Jake. I know their best friends, but I hadn't realized _just_ how close they are. So poor baby Adam is half dead collapsed on his desk at the start of class. Our professor is telling him to go back to his dorm and rest but Adam (like many of us) doesn't live on campus! Adam is ready to cry (he's a _really_ tough guy by the way) because he absolutely will not leave the class but Prof wants him to. Jake huffs and runs down the hall and buys Adam a Pepsi with his own money and returns. Adam is half conscious on his desk completely oblivious. Jake then wakes Adam up from his ridiculous pain intoxicated stupor and gives him the one Tylenol he was saving for his daily headaches and also the Pepsi he had bought with half his lunch money. Then, all through the class, whenever I look over to check on my friends, I see Jake writing notes with one hand and massaging Adam's neck with the other. IT WAS FREAKING ADORABLE! _

_So as you can see, this was basically filler and a reason to tell you my beautiful story about my bromancing friends who are actually quite straight. I'm so proud *sniffle* they were just too beautiful together that I had to tell you. Sorry._

_Moe._

_I regret nothing!_


	16. Of Extended Family

**Characters: **_Robin/Dick Grayson, Batman/Bruce Wayne, Justice League._

**Warnings: **_None._

**Summary:**_ In which Ollie gets owned by a baby bird._

_**Of Extended Family.**__ Seriously._

"Yo, Bats!" Barry called as said vigilante entered the conference room. "You put together this shindig, what took you so long?" Almost the entire Justice League, which only consisted of about ten members at the time, were gathered in the conference room in the Watch Tower. Batman didn't spare the speedster a glance from where he stood in the doorway. The Dark Knight's cape draped around him in an ominous and foreboding way. That usual signaled bad news.

"I have an announcement," he spoke, but his voice wasn't that of Batman's. Bruce felt somewhat safe. The people sitting before him knew who he was; he could let his Wayne side go once in a while. The change in voice didn't go unnoticed.

"Bruce?" Diana stood, concern written on her features. "…are you alright?" The only reply she received was a smirk.

Batman's cape shifted. The dark material lifted ever so slightly while a lump formed around the man's feet. The lift in the fabric revealed the toes of a very tiny and very green shoe. "Come on out," Bruce coaxed as if he were talking to a shy puppy. His voice was directed to the shoe which then disappeared rather quickly under the cape again. The audience present stared wide eyed as the cape shifted further. Was that a person under there?

"Bruce?" Clark said hesitantly. "What-what's going on?" His dark team mate gave him a half smile before looking back down at the lump at his feet.

"Come on, I thought you were excited?" he teased. A few of the members at the table were taken aback by his soft tone. "On the count of three, ok? One-"

"No!" a stubborn shout came from the cape.

"What the-" Oliver gaped.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard, Dick," Bruce sighed and peeled off his cowl. "Either you come out or I pull you out."

"No!" came another cry, this one was followed by a childish giggle.

"Bruce, is that a… _kid_?" Barry exclaimed, suddenly standing in front of the Dark Knight, cowl removed as well. "No way! I didn't believe it when Iris told me but-" He was silenced by a Bat scowl.

"Robin," he used the Bat voice.

It was silent. Finally, there was a quiet "ok…" from under the cape. Bruce didn't wait for his ward to step away; he instead parted the left side of the material to reveal… a little boy. He could only be about nine or ten years old staring wide eyed at the audience before him behind a black mask. Dinah couldn't help but let out an 'Awww!' But the ebony scowled in her direction, an almost perfect copy of his mentor's. The look didn't seem to deter any other of the adults from cooing.

The little boy clung to Bruce's leg, wrapped around the limb while one hand held that of his mentor's. He glanced up at the man he clung to, waiting for an order of some kind. Seeing the cowl of Batman removed, he reached up to his own pink face and peeled off his mask. Bright blue eyes surveyed the room and the occupants that were gaping at him.

"I thought you said there would only be five of them," he said to Bruce while counting the heads in the room under his breath. "That's a lot of heroes," he murmured.

"They're not that scary," Bruce laughed and leaned down to disconnect the bird from his leg. He still held the tiny gloved hand in his as he walked the boy forward a few steps. "Everybody," the man addressed the silent room. "Bruce Wayne has adopted a son who, by his own cleverness, found the Bat cave," he admitted grudgingly.

"So you've got a side kick?" Someone exclaimed near the back of the room.

"Partner!" Dick shouted back.

"But I thought you worked alone," Clark pointed out skeptically, standing from his chair to inspect the newcomer for himself.

"Well I work with you lot don't I?" Bruce flat panned.

His young ward looked up at the man of steel that knelt before him. Their blue eyes met and the bird had to stand on tippy toes to be at eye level. Dick squinted for a moment before backing away from the broad figure. "Superman?" he asked, pointing at the shield on his chest. Clark smiled and nodded, holding out a hand. Dick shook it firmly once before letting go.

"You can call me Clark," The man offered smiling.

"I'm Robin, you can call me Robin though." Bruce squeezed the little hand he was still holding. "I mean, uh, Dick. You can call me Dick."

"Dick Grayson, huh?" Barry tried to shove Clark out of the way and was unsuccessful. "Move it!" Rolling his eyes, the man of steel complied and let the speedster take his place. "I'm-"

"The Flash, Bruce told me." Dick glanced up at his mentor smirking. "He says-"

"Nothing, Bruce told you nothing," the dark vigilante cut in hurriedly.

"But you told me-"

"He doesn't need to know I said that."

"Said _what_?" Barry asked, interested in the gossip. "What'd he say, kid?"

But the bird didn't answer. Instead he held out his hand to shake the speedsters. Barry brushed off his confusion and knelt down, taking the small hand in his. "Call me-"

"Barry, I know. Bruce told me."

"Bruce tells you a lot, huh kid?" The blonde man smiled warmly and stood. "You know what? I think we'll get along just fine, you remind me of my nephew you know."

Dick tilted his head to one side. "Does he have super speed too then?"

Barry smirked. "Nah, but he wishes. Maybe you could meet him some day; you're around the same age… How old are you?"

"Nine."

"Nine?" Dinah was suddenly in front of Bruce poking a manicured finger into his Kevlar chest. The room was in uproar now. "Bruce, you're letting a _child_ fight in Gotham? I thought he was eleven at _least_ but _nine_?" The man she was yelling at didn't even flinch.

"Dinah, he's more than capable-"

"Capable?" Now Shayera had stood, wings tensed. "What child-"

"Everybody!" For a voice that came from such a tiny body, it was pretty loud. "Shush!" The little bird held a gloved finger to his lips. The other occupants in the room stared at him confusedly. The wide blue eyes just stared right back. At first, Dick appeared to be at a loss for words, but glancing at his mentor he took a step forward and opened his mouth.

"I…" he began. "I can take care of myself." He pulled his tiny hand from Bruce's. "I'm tough," he stated, puffing out his red clad chest. "I could probably take down a few of you right now."

There were a few chuckles from the back.

"Really, kid?" Oliver stood up, a smug grin set on his face. "That's a little farfetched. What kind of training have you had already?"

The bird looked up at his mentor again who nodded with a knowing smirk. Dick took two full steps before flipping onto the long conference table. Taking a few more steps he launched himself the rest of the way until he collided with the surprised man clad in green.

"Ack!" Ollie fell to the ground with a grinning boy standing on his chest. "I give, I give!" he wheezed.

"-tt- Pansy," Dick laughed but stepped off of the man pinned to the floor.

**A/N:**_ I know it's short… But I had typed up a new chapter for _Electric_ so that's a good excuse, right?_

_Anywho, I've been getting such awesome reviews it pulls my heart strings! You beautiful, beautiful people. I might actually start another series with mini stories like these. About whom you might ask? Well, our favorite Speeding duo of course! Barry and Wally need some loving, don't you think? Oh well._

_Love you guys,_

_Moe._


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